Running in Darkness
by kourabiedes
Summary: The story of a shiny Eevee's quest for survival... DISCONTINUED due to author losing her will to write for a very long time, sorry folks. Very likely to return under a different name.
1. Born of Fire

_I've been planning to get back to this story for ages. But when I went back and read through it, I was disappointed in myself and my writing style. So I've spent some time redoing the current chapters - streamlining them, changing some minor things, generally making something I'm more proud of. Enjoy. :3_

* * *

It was too soon.

The Eon pack sat in a loose semicircle around a pregnant Flareon. Snow still dusted the earth, the sun hiding behind the clouds as if to say he wanted no part in the unfolding tragedy.

It was too soon for her to be in labor, and all present knew it. The winter had been longer than usual - normally these lands were budding green at this time of year - but that didn't change the fact. She should not have gone into labor for at least another month.

Bad enough for an ordinary Flareon. Worse for this one, thin and sickly as she was - as she had always been, even before evolution. None in the pack had any hope for her or for her as-yet-unborn kit.

She was attended by the pack's Vaporeon shaman and her two apprentices, one of which turned to her teacher with a frown.

"We've done all we can - I don't think she's gonna make it."

"No one does, Badu; all we can do is try to save her kit. Ah -"

The sound of the Flareon's death rattle was accompanied and nearly eclipsed by the wail of a newborn. Badu went right to the kit, ignoring the pack's traditional death-howl.

The shaman whirled from the dead mother as she heard Badu's gasp.

"La'Shanke, look at this kit!"

La'Shanke came to stand next to her. She - along with much of the rest of the pack, who had also heard Badu's shout - stared at the young Eevee kit.

The newborn Eevee's fur, still wet, was silver.

Whispers broke out among the assembled as they regarded the silver Eevee. It was rare enough to see unusually colored Pokemon - to have one in the pack was rarer! And dangerous, for if humans ever saw her…

"What's goin' on?" A youngish Jolteon pushed her way to La'Shanke's side, followed closely by a toddling Eevee. She took in the silver fur. "Oh."

"Now what? This will be dangerous for the pack!" someone called out. "Humans will try to capture her and in turn us!"

The Jolteon who had pushed through turned towards the voice. "And what do you propose? That we leave her here to freeze?"

Several of the pack shifted uncomfortably. A voice rang out.

"Demi is right, we cannot leave one of our own out here."

The pack moved aside as a big Flareon came through. Even without his size, the obvious look of responsibility and confidence marked him as the leader. He took in the silver Eevee and nodded sagely. "That is, if enough of us present are willing to look after her."

Demi immediately stepped forward. "I'll look after her! She'll be the sister to my little Mahk, like my own kit." She was not alone, as several of the younger generation spoke up in her favor.

"So be it," the leader, Rama, said firmly, silencing the outcries. "Demi, you are charged with her care. Let us give the old one a proper burial and move on." His words were tantamount to commands, and he brooked no arguments from anyone. Demi immediately seized the squalling kit by the scruff in a very catlike manner and hauled her off for a good washing. Her own kit, almost a year old himself, followed, curiously eyeing the silver bundle of fur.

"Mama? What's wrong with her fur?" he asked. "It's not like mine or yours at all."

"No, it isn't," Demi acknowledged. "To be honest, I'm not really sure why her fur is this strange color."

"Oh." Mahk looked at his new foster sister. "What's her name?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'm sure we'll think of something," she assured him, giving him a quick lick.

"You have time," came La'Shanke's voice. The older Vaporeon came to sit beside her young friend. She examined the now-quiet newborn. "It was brave of you to take her on."

"La'Shanke, I can see why the others were worried, but to leave a newborn out in the cold is like cold-blooded murder."

La'Shanke nodded. "But you do know that she may be forced to leave later? When she's old enough? Assuming she even makes it that far?"

"I hope not. At least not until she evolves." Demi watched as several Flareons burned away the snow and softened enough earth for the others to dig a grave.

"I get the feeling that's what Rama has in mind." La'Shanke glanced over at Mahk. "And what do you think, little one?"

"About what?" Mahk was highly intelligent for his age.

"About this new sister."

"Oh." Mahk looked at the silver-furred ball curled up against his mother. "Well, I guess it's okay. She's kinda small, isn't she?"

"It's the nature of newborns to be small. She'll grow."

Mahk examined the kit nearly as closely as La'Shanke had. The kit's eyes were closed - they wouldn't open for some time yet - but she turned her little face in his direction as though feeling his eyes on her. Mahk shrugged after a minute or so.

"I think it'll be fun to have a sister to play with. After she gets big, anyway."

La'Shanke smiled. "Give her a little time - by midsummer she'll want to play and learn how to talk to you."

"If you say so." Mahk moved closer to his mother and the silver ball of fluff.

La'Shanke twisted her head around until her dark eyes were focused right on Mahk's face.

"The other kits are going to pick on her, because she looks different. Will you look after her? She's your sister now."

Mahk stared at La'Shanke. "Well, I guess so, but -" He couldn't put what he wanted to say in words. The Vaporeon shaman seemed satisfied with his answer anyway.

A bark made them look up. The burial finished, Rama was calling the pack back to their interrupted journey. Demi picked the silver kit up by the scruff and started out, La'Shanke beside her and Mahk trotting along on her other side.

La'Shanke paused by the grave. Her aging eyes fixed on a space just above the mound of earth. As a shaman, it was her duty to communicate with the four spirits that governed the Eons.

The problem was, she had never seen the spirit standing over the grave before.

_"She will prosper,"_ it said in a quiet voice.

"If you say so, honored one." La'Shanke inclined her head respectfully.

The spirit said nothing else, slowly vanishing from sight. La'Shanke remained where she was for several more heartbeats, then whirled and dogtrotted after the pack.

* * *

_Hopefully this is a change for the better. Nightling out._


	2. A Choice Unmade

_This one's been redone as well - many minor things have been changed._

* * *

Time passed. Demi, at Mahk's insistence, named the silver kit Kasu after an Arcanine heroine in one of La'Shanke's stories. The young Eevee felt the name might give his foster sister good luck - something she would desperately need later on. Despite his initial misgivings, Mahk grew very fond of Kasu and followed La'Shanke's admonition to look after her to the letter.

Kasu herself grew up like all other Eevee - in the warm months, beside a great river in a lush forest; in the cold months, down south near an extinct volcano. She, like the others, gathered by La'Shanke each night for teaching and stories, went to her foster mother for support, and obeyed Rama's orders when they were given. Unlike the others, however, she underwent constant pressure to evolve.

When an Eevee reached its third year, he or she was presented at the annual evolution ceremony. They then made one of four choices - to go with two of the Flareons to the extinct volcano, where the very walls held the sediment that made up what humans called Fire Stones; to go with La'Shanke and one other Vaporeon to the otherwise forbidden river cavern, where the stalactites were formed of evolutionary rock, encased in shale; to follow one of the very few pack Jolteons up to the high north peaks, where lightning had struck so often that the rocks just below the surface, when dug up, would transform the Eevee digger; or to put off the decision for another year (in some cases, Eevee chose never to evolve, despite the fact that Eevee simply didn't live as long as evolved Eons). It was believed that Kasu's peculiar fur would disappear when she evolved, thus eliminating the worst danger to the pack.

Kasu, however, was stubborn. She loved her foster mother, and La'Shanke, and Mahk, but none of these could convince her to choose an evolutionary path. Demi cajoled; Mahk reasoned; Rama threatened; Kasu ignored. It wasn't that she didn't understand their reasoning. She simply didn't want to evolve into one of her choices, no matter how many times she was told they were her only options. She couldn't see any path for her in any of them.

La'Shanke kept her peace, and watched with interest. She had never forgotten the spirit, nor its assurance that the silver-furred Eevee would do well. She wasn't sure what it had in mind, but she would keep watch.

* * *

It was a peculiar sort of day. That was the only way Kasu could describe it. Perhaps because it was the day of the evolution ceremony? Probably.

She shook out her silver pelt, padding along the riverside under the cloudy sky. She liked being this far out from the main camp, especially on days like this. It gave her a respite from the constant pressure to choose an evolution. Ordinarily she'd be with Mahk, but he'd been nagging her about evolution along with the rest. Only Cheggah (ironically, Rama's son) respected her decision - or indecision, rather, but he was hanging out with Mahk that day, so she ignored them and went on her own.

She walked on, her thoughts often dark. Her pelt, which usually shone in the light, was as dull as the overcast sky, reflecting her mood.

A step sounded behind her.

"Good morning."

Kasu jumped slightly and turned to face La'Shanke.

"Oh! Uh... good morning."

La'Shanke smiled at the young Eevee.

"And where are your two companions? I gathered you, Mahk, and Cheggah were inseparable."

"Mahk's been bugging me about the ceremony this evening. I just wanted to be alone," Kasu said, a distinct bitter note reaching La'Shanke's ears. The aging Vaporeon gazed at the young Eevee with concern.

"So you still haven't chosen?"

Kasu deflated. "No."

"Hm." La'Shanke gazed off into the distance, her eyes almost trancelike. "I see. Well, don't go much further, kit. You're already a good way from the camp. I'm heading back."

"All right." Kasu watched the shaman turn and walk back, noticing the other's peculiar gait and wondering at it. Shaking her head to clear it, she continued walking in her original direction.

It wasn't any kind of sound or sight that alerted her. Rather, it was a certain sense of being watched. Kasu stopped, ears pricked, listening intently.

_"You're a long way from home."_

Kasu spun.

The spirit before her was hazy, indistinct, and deep in shadow. She didn't recognize it at all. All she saw was a pair of glowing red eyes.

She knew she should be terrified. But somehow she wasn't.

"Good morning," she said politely. "Do I know you?"

_"I'm afraid not,"_ the spirit said calmly. _"I apologize for startling you, but I have a message for you."_

Kasu tilted her head in confusion.

"Forgive me, but I'm not the pack shaman. I'm just the oddball." She grinned a little.

_"I'm not looking for the shaman. What I have to say pertains to you and you alone."_ The red eyes gleamed momentarily.

"Oh... kay..." Kasu sat back on her haunches. "I'm listening."

_"You must not choose to evolve tonight."_

"Well, that's what I've been saying." Kasu grinned again. The spirit simply continued to stare at her, and she felt her smile slip.

_"In fact, your days with this pack as an Eevee are run. You must leave. Tonight."_

"_What_!"

_"Whatever you have to do to get away, you _must _leave tonight to pursue your destiny."_

"Destiny? What destiny?"

But the spirit had said its piece, and had no intention of saying more. It faded, leaving a confused silver Eevee in its wake.

* * *

Ordinarily, she would have gone straight to La'Shanke. For some reason, however, she chose not to. The young Eevee instead went to her brother.

Mahk and his best friend Cheggah had gone through the ceremony the year before. the two of them were lazily sprawled under a tree, both talking with serious looks on their faces. When they noticed Kasu approaching, they both went silent, a sure sign that their conversation had involved her somehow. She had a feeling she knew the exact subject.

"Hey, guys," she greeted them, plopping down beside her foster brother, carefully avoiding his spiny neck ruff. It was one of the hazards of living with a Jolteon.

"Hey, Kasu," Cheggah returned. His eyes, constantly twinkling with mirth, crinkled with the wideness of his smile. The huge son of Rama had followed his father's example and become a Flareon. Having no siblings of his own, he had always thought of Mahk and Kasu as his littermates and best friends.

Mahk only grunted his acknowledgement of his sister's presence, obviously preoccupied. Kasu felt a flash of annoyance.

"So, what are you two up to?" she asked.

"Chatting, lazing around, the works, " Cheggah replied, stretching to prove his point. "Where have you been? Out walking?"

"Yeah." Now was the time she should tell them about the spirit, but quite suddenly she realized she couldn't - or, rather, she wouldn't. Instead, she sat quietly as Cheggah detailed the things they had seen that morning, Mahk occasionally clarifying a point or two.

"Kasu, have you decided yet?" Mahk said suddenly, interrupting Cheggah's commentary. Kasu glared at her brother, blue eyes cold as ice.

"Yes." Now _what_ had made her say that?

"Really?" Mahk looked surprised. "What did you decide?"

"It's a surprise," Kasu replied, deciding to go with it. "You'll see tomorrow."

"Ah." Mahk obviously felt he shouldn't press his luck with his sister.

Kasu spent the rest of the afternoon with her two friends, her mind filled with turmoil.

* * *

She had to move quickly. Almost as soon as the ceremony started she'd be missed; she thanked the fates that Mahk and Cheggah had not planned to go and watch. Demi was another matter. She would know instantly that Kasu was missing.

She was never sure why she followed the spirit's instructions. All she knew was that she did. She slipped away from the camp at dusk, heading west toward the edge of the forest, ignoring the ache in her heart whenever she thought of Demi, Cheggah, La'Shanke, or Mahk.

Apart from leaving her family, there was a certain happiness in being on her own. The moon was rising above the trees, copper and swollen, but beautiful all the same. The wind was light and ruffled her fur gently. In this light, her color was all but impossible to discern; an ordinary Eevee on an ordinary stroll.

The moon rose higher with every hour.

Several hours later, the moon was directly overhead, bright silver-white and gleaming, and the exhilaration of the adventure was starting to wear off. Kasu was tired, grumpy, and questioning her reasoning more and more. All that kept her going was a curious compulsion, pulling her steadily westward.

Over fallen trees and under bushes, over and over. She didn't notice the light before her until she was practically on top of it.

She stopped.

It was a curious sight. A fire burned extremely low in a clearing, flanked by two green structures. Kasu stared at these in surprise. She padded up to one, slowly stretching her nose out to touch one of them. It gave way before her, and, surprised, she jumped back.

_What on earth..._

She pawed the green thing, noting its yielding quality with fascination. She backed away from it, then noticed the triangular opening in the front of the curious object. Warily, she padded toward it, poking her nose just inside.

Nothing happened.

She stuck more of her muzzle inside.

Still nothing.

Emboldened by her success, she padded in. She immediately noticed the huge, warm lump lying on the ground. Something pink peeked out from the end closest to her - pink, with a terrible scent, and sporting little appendages that, now that she thought about it, looked a little like her toes. A paw? She reached out to touch it.

And promptly leaped back when the lump moved, snorting. She dashed out and cowered beside the green thing's other side.

Nothing came after her. In fact, the clearing hadn't changed, except that the fire had gone out. Warily, ready to jump at any moment, Kasu went back inside.

Apart from smelling something awful, the big lump seemed harmless. It was warm... and Kasu was very tired.

Carefully, one paw at a time, she got up on top of the lump. The stuff under her paws felt strange, not like the paw had felt. It was very squishy and slick, but after she curled up, it was very comfortable.

Within moments, she was asleep.

* * *

"OY! Mike, your damn Eevee is on me _again_!"

Kasu started and leaped up and away at the shout. From the light streaming in through the triangle opening, it was morning, and from the noise, Kasu's lump was alive.

She darted outside, tripping over a stick in the now-cool firepit. The two green structures were filled with noise now, and the one she'd spent the night in was moving slightly.

"Ow! Man, I have to get a taller tent! Why did you let me drink so much last night?"

Kasu didn't hear any more, because she was running as fast as possible away from there.

She got maybe three hundred feet before slamming into something about her size.

"Aaaaah!"

"Wha!"

Kasu scrambled to all fours as she stared at the 'mon before her. She had never seen a 'mon of his species before - bipedal, with purple skin and diamonds for eyes. The mouth was just a gash in the face, filled with sharp teeth. The other was staring at her as well.

"What the heck -"

Then there was noise behind them.

"Silver, you say? That's rare, it is."

"Think it's nearby?"

"It can't've got far. Man, how long do your headache meds take to work?"

"Stuff it."

"Uh-oh." Kasu cast about for an exit. "Uh..."

"Come this way," the purple 'mon said, gesturing to her. "Unless you want them to catch you."

Kasu made no objection. She followed him at a fast clip.

* * *

_The button loves you. Night out._


	3. The Doom Patrol

_Newly redone._

* * *

"Well, it makes sense," Kasu's new companion noted. "That pelt of yours would make any human want you."

"But I don't understand," Kasu confessed.

The two Pokemon were hidden inside a hollow oak, both resting and listening with more than a little amusement to the commentary from the humans outside. The purple Pokemon smirked, an expression that did nothing to help his already frightening appearance.

"Humans only want to catch us and make us fight for them. Your fur's different from most Eevee -"

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Let me finish. It's a point of pride with some of these humans to have a Pokemon that's different from the norm, that's all."

Kasu absorbed this in silence. Suddenly all the things she'd heard since birth made sense. Why had no one told her this before?

"What did you say you were?" she asked eventually.

"I didn't say. You didn't ask."

"All right, so I'm asking now."

"So you are. I'm a Sableye - a ghost. Call me Tenebrae."

Ah." Kasu eyed him. "Can I call you Ten?"

"No."

"Nebbie?"

"No."

"Something shorter than Tenebrae?"

"No."

"Do you enjoy making life hard for everyone else?"

"Yep." Tenebrae grinned widely, showing long, pointed teeth.

"Are all Sableye as creepy as you?"

"I don't know. I haven't met all of them."

Kasu didn't really have a response to that. Instead, she changed the subject. "Thanks for your help."

"Meh, under normal circumstances, I'd've just left you to the humans." Tenebrae folded his hands behind his head and leaned back.

"Why did you help me?"

"Because I'm tired and I'm not thinking straight."

"You're tired? But - it's morning!"

"I'm nocturnal, dunce." Kasu felt he would roll his eyes if he could.

"Oh."

"In any case, you'll have to get out of here soon. Those idiots -" Tenebrae jerked his head toward the muffled voices - "will be searching this area for ages looking for you. Where're you headed?"

"West, I guess."

"West?" Tenebrae was staring at her.

"Yeah. I'm not sure why... it's a long story."

"Well, you can tell it when Archimedes gets back," Tenebrae said, leaning back again.

"Archimedes?" This was all becoming a bit much for Kasu.

"He's the Noctowl I bum around with. We used to have an Eon with us back then, too - he's gone now, he got captured a year or so back." Tenebrae's jewel-like eyes showed no emotion by design, but the set of his jaw and the tone of his voice suggested he was almost regretful. "Come to think of it, maybe that's the reason I saved your rear."

"I thought you didn't do sappy stuff." Tenebrae, Kasu was learning, was a very honest, blunt Pokemon. An admission like that was characteristic of him.

"Normally, I don't, but Jakian was a great friend and a good 'mon." Tenebrae glanced up the tree trunk. There was an open circle up where the tree trunk branched out into the sky. Sunlight shone in patches through the leaves and into that hole, lighting Kasu's fur and making the Sableye's eyes glitter.

"What kind of Eon was he?" Kasu asked, more to break the silence than out of any real curiosity.

"Well, he was -" Tenebrae stopped. "Well, I'm not sure. You'd have to ask Archimedes. I don't know the names of the Eons."

"Oh - but you should have been able to tell!" Kasu stared in disbelief at her companion.

"Hey, listen. Archimedes and I are night 'mons. We only saw him by moonlight."

"It should still have been obvious! They all look so different! Flareons are red with a yellow ruff, Vaporeons are blue with fins and stuff, and Jolteons are all yellow and spiky!"

Tenebrae looked thoughtful (as much as he could with his oddly designed face). "No, it wasn't any of those."

To Tenebrae, it was a perfectly innocent comment. To Kasu, it was a shock akin to being dropped in a bucket of ice water with starving piranhas in it.

"Wha! But there aren't any others! Are there?"

"How would I know? He said he was an Eon, though, and he wasn't like any of the ones you described," Tenebrae said with a note of finality.

"What if he lied?" Kasu was grasping at straws.

"Jakian wouldn't lie. It wasn't in his nature." Tenebrae's tone was both reproachful and a little confused. Like Kasu, Tenebrae was learning what his new companion was like - and this open denial was wildly out of character. He sincerely hoped this wasn't a case of know-it-all-runs-into-gap-in-knowledge syndrome.

It wasn't. It was something like culture shock.

All her life the young Eevee had been led to believe there were only three options for her life's journey - far more than any other 'mon ever had. Suddenly this new 'mon had come along and disproved that, effectively wiping Kasu's whole "theology" out from under her paws. Suddenly there was a _new_ option standing before her - one she knew nothing about. Suddenly she was worried, thinking of all the Eons who had taught her since birth - were they all wrong? Did they _know_? Had they lied to her, telling her there were only _three_ paths when in fact there were more?

And if there really were more... how did one go down those paths?

Tenebrae stared at her rapidly changing expressions with surprise.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," she said, rather distantly.

* * *

Something moved.

The two trainers had gone to search another nearby area. It was all the opening necessary.

The hole that led down into the tree's innards was almost invisible, even from above, but the something seemed to know exactly where the opening was. It flared its wings and stalled in midair, sharp ears catching a voice even as it folded its wings and dove into the hole.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Ah - EEEEEEEEEEK!"

"Whoa, man!"

The intruder flared its wings in shock this time, then dropped to the floor of their temporary hideout. It landed very ungracefully, wings flopping out comically to keep its balance. Kasu jumped back, ears flat against her head and fur standing on end.

Tenebrae stared, then began laughing uproariously.

"Nice entrance, Archimedes."

The creature drew itself up to full height - a full-grown male Noctowl, feathers slightly ruffled.

"You're keeping odd company this morning," he said, obviously trying to cover up his embarrassment by examining Kasu. She shrank back from that unblinking gaze.

"Archimedes, where you been? This is Kasu."

"Odd color, aren't you?" Archimedes said, his tone rhetorical.

"I know!" Kasu exploded, forgetting her fear. "I _know_ I'm a freak, okay!"

"Woah, easy," the Noctowl soothed. "Didn't mean nothin' by it."

Kasu deflated.

"Sorry."

"Don't be." The Noctowl turned to his comrade, his head twisting without any help from his shoulders (a fact that fascinated Kasu). "An explanation would be nice."

Once Tenebrae calmed down enough to explain, he did, with interjections from Kasu at certain points. When he finished, Archimedes looked at Kasu again.

"You belong to that Eevee pack near here, then?"

"Yes, and I don't intend to go back," she said fiercely.

"Don't blame ya," the Noctowl said calmly.

"I... I don't want to go back until I evolve. Maybe even later than that."

"Now, hold on a minute," the owl said. "I thought that pack regulated what its members turn into anyway. Aren't you supposed to evolve there?"

"I don't want to be any one of the Eons they want me to be," Kasu explained. "And if I go back, they'll just make me choose." She didn't mention the spirit.

Archimedes considered it, then nodded understandingly. "So you're looking for other options. Jakian wasn't one of those Eons in your pack..."

"That's what Tenebrae said. I'm going to find out how he did it, what he was, and how I can become one."

"What if you don't like that one either?" Archimedes asked shrewdly.

Kasu paused. She hadn't thought of that.

"Cross that bridge when we get there," Tenebrae replied in her stead. "If she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to evolve."

Kasu shot him a grateful look as Archimedes turned his head to the ghost.

"Never known you to champion sap cases like this," he said eventually.

"I kinda like this fuzzball," Tenebrae said flippantly. "And I can respect her motives. I'm coming along just to see what happens."

"But -" Kasu started, but Archimedes stopped her.

"No buts. You're headed west - we have a member in the western mountains we need to pick up. Our Patrol's kinda scattered in recent years."

"Patrol?"

"It's a club name," Tenebrae explained. "Misfits, outcasts, loners, the like. The Doom Patrol."

"Oh." Kasu cocked her head. "How many are there?"

"Counting the one we need to pick up? Three."

Kasu blinked.

"Four, actually," Archimedes said.

"Four?"

"Counting you," he smiled. "We'll travel at night, if you've no objections. Tenebrae and I see better at night, and humans generally aren't active past midnight."

"That sounds fine," Kasu said, happy to have the company.

"Cool. Now, get some sleep, new partner." Archimedes fluffed out his feathers as he prepared for sleep.

"Good advice." Tenebrae slapped Kasu's shoulder. "Welcome to the Doom Patrol, little missy. Good night - actually, good morning." He laughed at his own joke as he settled in to sleep.

Kasu lay down as well, her mind buzzing. It would be a long time before she fell asleep to the accompaniment of Archimedes's snores. But sleep she did.

* * *


	4. An Unexpected Problem

_Newly redone._

* * *

Unfortunately, switching from a diurnal lifestyle to a nocturnal one isn't easy. Kasu found this out the hard way. Over the next several days she found it nearly impossible to sleep days, much less stay up all night traveling. But she kept her mouth shut, not wanting her two new friends to think her weak or whiny. That didn't stop them from noticing her difficulties. Archimedes did his best to help her.

Tenebrae, on the other hand...

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, those tree roots stick up a little. You oughta watch out."

"I can't see a thing! How am I supposed to _watch out_!"

Tenebrae smirked. "Learn how to see in the dark, I guess."

"Jerk." Kasu limped along after Tenebrae, favoring the paw she'd bruised for about the fiftieth time on a protruding tree root. A sudden breeze above made her look up. Archimedes had perched on a branch above Tenebrae.

"Stop giving her such a hard time," the owl reprimanded his friend.

"She gives as good as she gets," Tenebrae replied, unconcerned.

"That's not the point!"

"I'll be fine, Archimedes. I'll get him back later... while he's sleeping." Kasu bared her fangs in a wicked grin.

"You can try, missy." Tenebrae grinned. "Once."

Kasu stuck her tongue out at him as Archimedes shook his head and took flight again.

Kasu was highly impressed by her new friends. Tenebrae had perfect night vision, capable of seeing everything in the dark (though he had admitted to Kasu that he couldn't see very well in bright sunlight). He moved quickly for such a small 'mon, and his tongue and mind moved nearly as quickly. Archimedes flew in absolute silence, his wings noiselessly cutting the air above them, and Kasu would never forget coming up behind him, tapping his back, and seeing his head swivel completely around to look at her. Though he wasn't as smart as Tenebrae, he was much more tactful.

For their part, the two males were impressed with Kasu's dedication. She kept up well and was unwilling to admit defeat. Sure, she seemed very stubborn (not always a bad thing), and she took cracks about her fur color very badly, but otherwise she seemed to be a good companion.

"C'mon, girl! You're lagging!" Tenebrae grinned, out of her sight. He loved teasing her.

"Tenebrae, I will come up there and I _will_ claw your face."

"Knock it _off_, you two!" Archimedes barked.

They ignored him, continuing to needle each other all through the night.

* * *

Had the Patrol known they were being observed, things might have been less funny.

Had they known _what_ was observing them, humor would have taken a long vacation.

"On our land, are they," a voice snarled in the undergrowth.

"Yarr, those stupid Patrol creatures, two of them be," another replied irritably. "Pick fights with those creatures, we should not."

"Right you may be, Leader," a third began, "but a problem is the Eevee. Not of the Patrol, is it. Punished, it should be."

"Agreed," the second voice hissed. "Objections?"

There were none.

"Strike at dawn, we will!"

Hisses of approval filled the air.

Unaware of what danger lurked, the Doom Patrol had stopped for the morning.

Archimedes had flown ahead to scout out good hiding places, leaving Tenebrae and Kasu cooling their heels by a placid stream.

"You always pick these idyllic little spots to stop in," Kasu noted, stretching languidly. "I think you're secretly a romantic."

"Nobody's perfect," Tenebrae replied blandly.

"If you'd keep that in mind, your ego would be considerably smaller," Kasu yawned.

"Oh, fine. If all I'm gonna get from you is abuse, I'm leaving." Tenebrae exaggeratedly wiped an imaginary tear from his eye as he stood up.

"Where're you going?"

"To find out what happened to the featherbrain."

"Liar. You're just getting sick of sitting on your butt."

"That too. You stay here."

"Whatever." Kasu allowed a smirk to flick across her face. "_One_ of us has to stay in the same place, after all, so that you two don't get lost."

"Lost? I don't get lost. I just sort of... can't pinpoint my exact location... sometimes."

"It's the same thing, isn't it?" Kasu yawned pointedly. "Weren't you going somewhere?"

If Sableye could roll their eyes, Tenebrae would have as he left the stream bank, vanishing back into the surrounding forest.

Kasu simply sat after he left, enjoying the silence. She was tending toward somnolence now, a sign she was adjusting to her nocturnal lifestyle, she thought. She slumped a little, half-curling on the stream bank. The spot reminded her of the river back at the camp, of all the happy sunlit days she'd spent with Mahk and Cheggah, before the evolution mess...

She felt terrible. She hadn't thought of her brother and her best friend in days. How were they doing back at the camp? Did they miss her? What did they think happened to her?

Did they wonder why?

She felt miserable, a hunched ball of silver fur, fighting the few tears she knew wanted to fall.

The warning came abruptly.

_"Look out!"_

Kasu didn't stop to question the order. She just rolled.

As it turned out, that saved her. Claws slashed into the ground where her head had been. Kasu leaped to her feet as the 'mon spun at her and attacked again.

_Persians!_

Sleek, sly, terrible, and not particularly intelligent, they were territorial and fickle, the bane of a woodland 'mon's existence. Fortunately, they weren't numerous, but even one could wreak havoc on a full-grown Flareon.

There were four facing Kasu. Four snarling, hissing, growling feline behemoths (at least compared to Kasu), all with murder written all over their cream-furred faces.

Kasu had been hailed as surprisingly strong for a young female Eevee in her pack. She might have survived a fray with one Persian. But all four were stalking closer, one paw in front of the other.

"Trespasser, you are," one hissed. "Punish you we will."

"Right." Kasu edged backward. "I'd love to stay and discuss that. But, as it happens, I have another engagement..."

And she bolted.

* * *

Some way off, Archimedes was busy berating his best friend.

Berating is perhaps not the right word. "Yelling at" fits the bill better. "Scolding" might work. "Screeching" just about hits the mark.

"YOU LEFT HER ALONE!"

"Hey, she can take care of herself," Tenebrae defended himself.

"She's just an Eevee! Besides, what evidence do you have that she can fight?"

The cocky Sableye found himself, for the first time in years, at a loss.

"Uh..."

"See!" Archimedes smacked his friend with one wing. "C'mon, let's go before she gets in trouble!"

Kasu had to hand it to the Persians - they had quick reflexes. Not five seconds after she had split, she heard sounds of pursuit. She ducked into every little hole she could - the Persians were undoubtedly faster than she was, so she'd have to play on their size and lack of reasoning power.

Despite her efforts, however, they continued to gain. She kept at it, hoping against hope an opportunity would present itself soon.

One did.

Unfortunately, it wasn't an opportunity for her.

Her feet betrayed her at the apex of a hill. She slipped on a leaf and went down, head over tail, yelping the whole way down.

She landed hard at the bottom and scrambled to her feet, hearing triumphant shouts behind her as the Persians spotted her. She darted to the right and found a high, steep incline - not impassable, but certainly not good. A quick glance confirmed that all but the face she'd rolled down were like that.

The only way out was past those Persians charging down the hill.

For the rest of her life, Kasu was never sure how she got the courage to do what she did next. She charged forward, ducking under one leaping Persian and gaining the top of the hill before they could figure out just what she was doing. They turned and raced after her, yowling as they realized how close she was.

"Oy, hon! This way - duck an' run!"

Kasu followed the voice and dove. She slid between a pair of cream-colored paws, coming to a rest under the 'mon.

It took her a moment to realize it, too, was a Persian.

"Ah'll slow 'em down for ya, hon," the Persian said, stepping over her. "Watch a master in action."

The four Persians had slowed to a stop and were now all regarding this intruder warily.

"You trespass too, punish you we will," the far one said, readying himself to pounce.

"Try it, bucko," Kasu's protector snarled, also readying herself. "Ah dare ya."

The far Persian pounced.

He never made it.

A flash of gleaming white, and the Persian found himself sprawled on his side in the dirt, three deep gashes in his cheek. The other three Persians stared in consternation at the big female as she lowered her paw slightly.

"Leave me an' the little 'un alone, an' Ah'll let ya walk outta here in one piece. Understand?" She flexed her claws.

They seemed to understand very well, since they took off immediately, tearing up the undergrowth in their haste.

"Wow!" Kasu forgot herself and bounced in front of her protector. "That was amazing!"

"Don' celebrate too much, hon, they'll be back," the Persian advised. "How'd ya get mixed up with them, anyway?"

"They called me a trespasser - my friends left me for a minute, and they attacked - thanks, I wasn't going to get much farther -"

"Quit babblin', hon," the Persian said with an amused smile. "Sit down for a minute an' tell me yer story, an' Ah'll try ta get ya back ta yer friends after that. Ya need ta rest after that run, anyway."

"Thanks... uh, what's your name?"

"It's kinda unpronounceable in any tongue but a Persian's. Call me Firefang. What's yer name?"

"Kasu. See, what happened was..."

The sun was high in the sky as the young silver Eevee told Firefang what had happened to her.

* * *


	5. And Then There Were Four

_Newly redone. After this point, all chapters will be new material._

* * *

Kasu enjoyed Firefang's company. The big female Persian was highly intelligent, defying the stereotype for Persians easily. She found out why as they walked through the forest, attempting to locate the stream Kasu had been by earlier.

"Ah used to live with a human."

"You _did_?" Kasu was shocked. Tenebrae had spent the better part of the journey denouncing humans in general. Archimedes, usually so forgiving and nonjudgmental, had remained silent on the subject. La'Shanke and all the other Eons had told her humans were dangerous and unpredictable. "Was he mean to you? I always heard such bad things about humans..."

"Don' believe everythin' ya hear. Sure, some humans are jerks, but not all of 'em are bad. Mah human was a great man."

"Really?" Kasu was fascinated. "How did it all happen?"

"It's a bit long a story to tell now, but Ah promise Ah'll tell ya someday, ya just remind me."

"All right." Kasu padded along beside her, bursting with questions she held back with difficulty. One slipped out. "Did you see many types of 'mons?"

"Sure Ah did. Ah was on a team with some o' the best."

"Team?"

"It's the custom. Humans callin' themselves 'trainers' raise and care for a few 'mons. They care for us, and some of them raise us for battle."

"Battle?"

"A strictly guided combat. We don't fight to the death, only until one yields."

"Like a sparring match?"

"Exactly." Firefang smiled at her. "It's not always pleasant, but it grows on ya after a while. Some humans work ya too hard, and some don't work ya at all, but just want the company."

"You were one of the battlers?"

"Yeah. It's not like livin' out in the wild, where ya belong, but it's not a bad life neither. Ah liked it. Ah probably wouldn't'a liked it if mah human wasn't such a good 'un."

"What 'mons were you on a team with?"

"Hmm." Firefang was lost in thought. "Ya ever heard o' a Blastoise?"

"Yeah... wait, you knew one!" Kasu stared at her. No one she knew had ever seen a Blastoise - the mighty turtle 'mons were almost like legends to the pack.

"Yeah. He was one o' mah best friends - a nicer 'mon ya couldn't find. Had a Flareon friend, too - she was a real piece o' work, but tough as nails."

"A Flareon friend? Really?"

"Yeah." Firefang grinned at Kasu. "Not like ya, though - bright red and awful small for a Flareon. Ah liked her, though."

"Wow." Kasu was stunned. "Tenebrae's been telling me so many bad things about humans and their world..."

"Bitter, perhaps. Ah'm sure he has a reason."

"He was talking about a 'mon friend of his who was captured a while back..." Kasu recalled.

"That could be part o' it," Firefang agreed. "But it's probably not the whole deal."

"No, probably not. Hey - I remember this tree!" Kasu turned abruptly. "I know where we are now!"

"Careful, hon!" Firefang called, but the young Eevee was already far ahead. Firefang sighed, then trotted off after her, eyes searching the undergrowth.

* * *

"I ought to rip your brain out since you obviously have no use for it!"

"Archimedes, you need some new insults. You're repeating yourself," Tenebrae said resignedly. "You've been yelling at me from sunrise to sunset."

"No kidding!" Archimedes clacked his beak irritably. "And we still haven't found Kasu!"

"How is that _my_ fault! _I _don't know where she is any more than you do!"

"It's _your_ fault because _you _are the moron who left a defenseless Eevee to be attacked by whatever happened across that place first!"

"You're repeating yourself again."

"You, my friend, are about to be ripped apart quite painfully and with much screaming."

"I'm a ghost-type. Ripping doesn't really apply to us."

"We'll see..."

THUNK!

"Ow! Hey, easy with the wing, pal!"

"See? You're solid, at least, and you feel pain. I think ripping you apart is quite possible."

"Eff." Tenebrae edged away from his Noctowl friend. "I'll just be over here."

"Scared?" Archimedes glared at the Sableye.

"Actually, now that you mention it - do you hear something?"

"Don't try to change the subject!"

"No, really! Sounds like a 'mon coming this way..."

* * *

As soon as Kasu recognized the two 'mons, she leapt out of the underbrush with a yell.

"Hi guys!"

Unfortunately, Tenebrae's first instinct when he saw something flying at him was to duck. Thus, Archimedes got the full force of the flying tackle.

"Oh, whoops!" Kasu grinned ruefully as she scrambled off Archimedes. "Sorry."

"Good to see ya!" Tenebrae cheered, buffeting Kasu's shoulder in a friendly way. Archimedes dusted himself off and smiled at her to show he wasn't upset.

"Good to see you too," Kasu replied, playfully knocking the Sableye off his feet onto his back. He just laughed.

"What happened, anyway?" Archimedes wanted to know.

"Well -"

Then all hell broke loose.

Archimedes screeched as a Persian landed on his back. More came from every direction, all screeching in rage - seven in all, four of which Kasu recognized as her playmates from before.

"Oh boy." Kasu darted in and out, avoiding claws. "Firefang? Firefang!"

* * *

Not a single Persian knew what hit them.

The lithe Firefang attacked from behind, claws and teeth much in evidence. She cut through the surprised Persians with the ease of a carving knife through melted butter. She broke through to the Doom Patrol without any problems.

"Ah told ya they'd be back, hon - and they brought a coupla friends, Ah suppose," she mused, looking around her.

"Who the heck are you?" Tenebrae snapped.

"Later, Tenebrae," Archimedes said sharply. "We have other problems."

"Not for long," Firefang grinned. "Ya three up for it?"

"Wait a minute," the owl objected. "Three? Kasu's just a little Eevee!"

Firefang spoke before Kasu could object.

"No better time ta learn. But hold back for a minute - lemme try something."

"Hold back!" Kasu yelped. "They're closing in!"

And so they were, slowly, paw by paw. The Doom Patrol and Firefang had their backs to the river, but on every other side there were Persians - ugly, deadly, hissing Persians. Firefang growled.

"Back up, you three. Give me room ta try this." The jewel on her head glowed oddly.

And, without warning, lightning struck.

Literally.

BZZZZZAP!

"MRRRROWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

One Persian turned tail and fled after the Thunderbolt ended. Two others lay smoking on the ground, unconscious. The other four were definitely hesitant about moving forward. Firefang flashed a grin at the Doom Patrol.

"Now, we advance, threatening-like, and they'll run, Ah'm sure o' it."

"After that display, I'd run too," Archimedes chuckled.

"Who wouldn't?" Kasu laughed. "That was way cool."

As it turned out, the group barely moved one pace forward before the remaining Persians broke and ran, yowling, back into the trees. Firefang laughed delightedly.

"Ah've never known Thunderbolt ta fail me before!"

"Impressive," Archimedes noted. "I didn't know Persians could use lightning attacks."

"One of the few advantages to living with humans, hon," Firefang winked.

"You lived with humans?" Archimedes said, startled.

"Sure did. Wasn't a bad way ta live, actually - what're ya starin' at me like that for?"

Tenebrae's mouth was agape as he stared at her.

"Did I just hear you right? You _liked_ living with humans?"

"Obviously you heard just fine," Firefang shrugged.

"Bu - Wha -"

"What's'a matter with him?" the cat asked Archimedes in an undertone.

"He's a bit closeminded about humans." Archimedes smiled.

"Ah. So he's the one called Tenebrae. And you're Archimedes?" Firefang fixed her gaze on him.

"That's what my mother named me."

"Smart-alec. So, what's y'all's plan? Where ya headed?"

"West," Kasu piped up, "toward the mountains."

"West, huh? Y'all are headed for Queen Emeria's range, then."

"Queen Emeria?" Tenebrae seemed to come out of his shock.

"Ostentaneous, huh? Ah've never met her myself, but mah Blastoise friend, he lives up that way nowadays. If y'all don't mind, Ah'll tag along with ya 'til Ah find him."

"What? But -" Tenebrae began, but Archimedes cut him off.

"We can always use the extra help," he said, glaring at his best friend, "and I, personally, am interested in hearing your story."

"Ah'll tell it if y'all wanna hear it, but right now Ah suggest we get out of Persian lands. Might not get any sleep before midnight, but it'll be worth it not ta be attacked anymore."

"Point. Let's go, then," Archimedes said decisively, pointedly ignoring Tenebrae's grumbling.

Kasu fell in beside Firefang, feeling much happier. Never mind that the sun was setting and she still hadn't got any sleep. It was worth it.

* * *


	6. Help and Hindrance

_Those of you that are watching this story are probably very surprised. :) If you haven't already, please go back and reread the first five chapters. I've been redoing them these past few weeks, and I apologize for the extremely long delay._

_Enjoy :)_

* * *

The problem was, the lack of sleep told on Kasu worse than trying to switch lifestyles had. She stumbled along for several nights until one night she woke to find herself dangling by her scruff from Firefang's jaws. The big cat pointedly ignored the smaller 'mon's feeble protests, and eventually, Kasu gave up and let herself fall asleep.

Two nights later, Kasu's world again changed.

"That's the end of the forest," Tenebrae said, pointing. "Two hundred yards or so."

"There's a human town at the forest's edge," Firefang commented. "Ah know loads o' the Meowths in town - they can point us in the right direction. That is, if y'all are _sure_ your fourth member is in Queen Emeria's range." She glanced at Archimedes for confirmation.

"Fairly sure. It seems like the kind of place Nimahri would attach herself."

"Right. Once we get close, Ah'll look up some o' mah old friends in the alleys, get directions, an' we'll be on our way."

"I am not going down there," Tenebrae said firmly, his eyes glittering (more so than usual, at any rate).

"No one's makin' you," Firefang said. The Persian and Sableye had been at each other's throats since they had first met - Firefang's former status as a human's battle partner being the outward reason for Tenebrae's dislike. After several attempts to reconcile them, both Kasu and Archimedes had given up and now only got in the way when things got out of hand.

"I never said -"

"Let it go," Archimedes muttered. For once, Tenebrae did, and fell silent for the next half-hour, until they emerged on the edge of the forest.

"Okay, y'all, who's comin'?" Firefang asked.

"Tenebrae and I will meet you on the other side of town," Archimedes said. "Kasu, are you going with Firefang or coming with us?"

"I'd like to go with her, if I can," the silver Eevee said quickly.

"Ya know you're welcome ta come," Firefang grinned, "but it's liable ta be dangerous for an Eevee like yaself."

"I'll stay close, and I'll defend myself if I have to, I promise!" Kasu wasn't going to let an opportunity to see a human habitation go to waste. Archimedes chuckled.

"Better let her have what she wants, I guess."

"Yeah." Firefang grinned. "Ah'll look out for her, don' worry."

"You'd better," Tenebrae growled. Kasu wondered at his protectiveness.

Firefang chose not to respond to that, but instead said to Archimedes, "You'd better get a move on. We'll meet you by sunrise."

"Agreed. Luck," the owl said, taking wing. Tenebrae stayed put another moment or two, as though he was about to say something, but then shook his head and followed his friend. Firefang turned to Kasu.

"First things first, hon. Ya can't go inta town lookin' like that."

"Huh?"

* * *

They approached the town, Kasu's questions coming thick and hard.

"What are these?" she asked, rearing up on her hind legs and putting her paws on a metal pole. "Metal trees? But there's a light on the top!"

"Street lamps," Firefang explained. "Humans don' see well in the dark at all. They need these lights ta travel at night."

"Oh." Kasu set her paws back on the paved road (she didn't like the smell of it, nor the way it felt under her paws, but Firefang assured her it was the main trail into the town). "Do they often travel at night?"

"In a little town like this 'un? Probably not - but it's a custom."

"Are they so set on customs, then?"

"More than they will admit," Firefang winked.

Kasu didn't understand, but she let it pass.

"In any case," the cat continued, "in this little town, most humans won't be awake and on the streets at this hour."

"Streets? Like this road?"

"Exactly," Firefang said, pleased. "Ya catch on quick."

Kasu passed under another street lamp, wincing a little at the bright light. She glanced down at her paws, stained brown by a berry growing in profusion near the edge of the forest. Firefang had mercilessly rubbed the dye into her fur, telling her that if she thought traveling with an odd-colored coat in the wilderness where only an occasional trainer passed was dangerous, she would be a fool indeed to walk boldly into a human town with the same pelt. Kasu's entire pelt was stained a dirty brown (Firefang assured her it would wear off in a few days) with the exception of her ruff, which Firefang said looked normal anyway. Kasu thought it was great, looking like a normal Eevee for once. When she voiced that, however, Firefang had made a very odd face and refused to comment.

They went deeper into the town, keeping to the shadows and backstreets as much as possible. Firefang's steps were lightning quick; in the forest, she had often given off an air of boredom, but here she was very much alert, despite the deserted streets. Kasu was dogtrotting to keep up, swallowing a hundred new questions that had occurred to her and following Firefang's example of silence.

She had promised to stay close. But it was hard, as she saw things everywhere that interested her. Here, a human's home, with a strange black dog 'mon in the window, barking at her and Firefang; there, a stranger place, with openings that glittered oddly (Firefang said they were "windows" and that she shouldn't try to go through them) and with strange spidery bug things on the top that shone colors that hurt her eyes (Firefang said it was the name of the "store", whatever that was, and that the bugs were the "letters" making up the store name). She frequently lagged behind, often catching herself just in time to see Firefang disappear right around a corner and barely in time to catch up.

A flicker startled her - a sign of life in a town she had begun to think dead. She turned. The flicker had come from one of the human dwellings.

Without stopping to think, she slunk toward the fence, peering through the hole she'd originally seen the flicker through.

Nothing.

Curious, Kasu poked her head through the hole, then pulled the rest of her body through.

Still nothing.

She was in the backyard of a human home, she realized. There were strange objects everywhere, one of which caught her eye - a black-and-white ball, checkered, that moved easily when tapped with a paw. She batted it around for a moment, losing herself in the childish game, before something finally happened.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?"

Startled, Kasu leaped up. She spun and found herself facing a pair of dark eyes in a red face.

"Uh - sorry, is this your ball?"

"Actually, no, it belongs to my human's niece," the big lizard-thing said. "I don't play with human toys."

"Right." Kasu noticed the tail-flame and finally identified the 'mon - a Charmeleon, scarred over one eye and hugely muscled. She wondered how close he was to evolution. "I'm sorry I trespassed..."

"It's not my lawn either," he shrugged. "But you probably shouldn't hang around here too long - my human doesn't want an Eevee, but his niece sure would." He sniffed the air. "You're not attached to any human, are you?"

"No, I came from the forest," she admitted.

"You need a bath, kid. What have you been rolling in?"

Kasu chose to ignore that. She went back to the hole and peered out. Something hit her right then.

"Oh no, I lost her!"

"Lost who?"

"Firefang - my friend. She knows the way, I don't..." Kasu sat down. She was honest enough with herself to admit that this was her fault, but she was still a little annoyed with Firefang for not waiting for her.

Then again, Firefang had been so intent on her search that she probably hadn't noticed that Kasu was gone yet. The young Eevee wasn't sure what to do.

"What business could a forest-born Eevee have in a human town?" the Charmeleon asked.

"We wanted directions to the range of... oh, I forgot her name. Firefang knew some 'mons here who knew the way..."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense. Who were these 'mons?"

"Meowths, I guess," Kasu said, sounding - and feeling - defeated.

"Meowths? Odd. I know the Meowths around here are always in and out of town, but I didn't think they made friends often."

"Well, Firefang's a Persian, so..." Kasu shrugged.

"That would make a difference." The Charmeleon sighed. "Well, I'd love to help you, but I don't know anything about this town. My human's only visiting."

"That's all right," Kasu said hurriedly.

"But I have heard tell that there's a Poochyena living in an alley two streets down that knows just about everything. Maybe he'll help you?"

"Really? Wow, thanks!" Kasu made as if to go through the fence, but stopped. "Uh, which way did you say it was?"

The Charmeleon pointed, a smile playing around his lips. "I'll wish you luck - you're going to need it. Remember - the alleyway two streets down, and if I were you, I'd hurry."

"Thank you so much, sir! I won't forget you helped me!" Kasu squeezed through the small opening and darted off.

As soon as she was gone, the Charmeleon shook his head.

"Good kid. A little odd, though. Now, was it two streets, or was it three? I hope it was only two." He thought about it for a while, then shrugged. "Oh well."

* * *

Kasu followed the Charmeleon's directions exactly, and found herself in a dingy alleyway, lined on both sides by overflowing dumpsters and trash cans. She picked her way down it, getting jumpier by the second.

"Hey!"

For the second time, she jumped in alarm. This time, however, she went face-to-face with a 'mon barely her size.

"Oh, it's just an Eevee," the black dog 'mon said dismissively. He sniffed the air. "A rather rank Eevee," he finished.

Kasu felt her fear melt into annoyance.

"Well, you don't exactly smell like a field of lilies yourself," she snapped.

The Poochyena glared at her.

"Say your piece and get out of my sight," he growled.

"I'm looking for the Meowths," Kasu said, emboldened by her success. "I have a friend who's looking for them."

"Huh, Meowths," the dog snorted. "I don't deal with cocky cats. I don't know where they are."

"But - but I was told you knew everything about this town."

"Nobody knows where the Meowths are. Except other Meowths." The Poochyena bared his fangs at her. "Get out of my alley, Eevee, or I'll make you leave."

Kasu decided not to press her luck. She backed out, careful not to present her back to the snarling dog. As soon as she was out of sight, she broke and ran, intending to return to the house where the Charmeleon had been.

She had gone several blocks before she realized she had no idea where she was.

"Now what?" she muttered to herself, fighting down her panic.

Well, she decided, the more she kept moving, the better her chances of encountering a Meowth or of finding the forest again. Sure, it would make it harder for Firefang to locate her (surely the Persian had realized she was missing by now) but she was sure that if she simply sat and waited, she'd eventually give in to the creeping panic.

Not to mention she'd eventually be found by some human, and that was the last thing she needed.

* * *

After several more hours, however, the eastern sky was beginning to lighten, and Kasu was growing very frightened. While she didn't run into any humans, she had also not seen any Meowths - nor had she seen any way that lead back to the forest where Tenebrae and Archimedes were waiting. There were now, occasionally, huge, growling, smelly, metallic monsters on the roads - the first such monster had borne down on her in the wee hours of the morning and came very close to ending her career permanently. After that encounter, she prudently avoided the road surface and stuck to the sidewalks, grass, and curbs where she could. Humans were starting to come out, and that fact worried Kasu more than anything. She had no desire to wind up as a pet this early in her quest, and she began to avoid the lighted areas and slink through alleyways filled with dirty 'mons and humans alike.

So, when a small paw tapped her shoulder, the tension all came to an immediate and painful apex.

"Eeee!"

This time, in her alarm, Kasu did a full back flip, right over her assailant's head and to the ground.

"Woah! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." The other 'mon laughed. "You looked lost, so I thought you might like some help."

Kasu shook herself.

"Uh, well, that'd be..." She trailed off.

Her companion was an Eevee.

And her fur was silver.

* * *


	7. Princess and Pauper

_Slightly rushed, I know. I find myself not really caring. The next chapter is turning out better anyway. :P_

* * *

"What're you staring at?" the other Eevee asked. "Just because my fur's different from yours is no reason to gawk."

Kasu snapped her jaw shut.

"I - uh - sorry, it's just..." She remembered belatedly that her fur was dyed; the other Eevee didn't know about their common trait.

"I know, it's odd, but it's far more classy than a normal _brown_. Not that there's anything wrong with _your _fur at all, but silver is so much more beautiful, don't you think?" The other Eevee struck a sort of pose, showing off her shimmering pelt. As she did, Kasu noted the band of blue leather around her neck.

"You live with a human?" She shied from the term "belong to".

"Of course." The other Eevee flipped her tail. "She calls me Zhara. It's _so_ pretty, isn't it? My human loves me - she was supposed to get an ordinary _brown_ Eevee - no offense - from her brother, but when _I_ was born he brought me to her instead, and she just _adores_ me."

Kasu blinked.

"She doesn't think you're... well, weird?"

"Of _course_ not. She thinks my fur is so much prettier than any other Eevee's - the other Eevees think I look strange, but some of them wish they had my pretty fur. Do _you_?" she asked suddenly.

"Not particularly. Silver fur... doesn't really work well in the forest," Kasu said truthfully.

"You come from the _forest_!" Zhara seemed overly shocked to Kasu.

"Of course. Didn't you?"

"_Me_? Never! I was born in a human home, and I like it!" She looked at Kasu speculatively. "I didn't know there were Eevees out in the _forest_."

"Yes - there's a whole pack. But I don't think they'd like you much." Kasu immediately regretted the words as Zhara's eyes flashed.

"Oh _really_?" Her voice dripped menace.

"That's not what I meant," Kasu hastily amended. "I mean, since they have to defend against bigger and meaner 'mons and against humans, they wouldn't want a silver Eevee - because it would stand out, you know? I heard..." She paused a moment. "I heard there was a silver Eevee in their pack once. She left because... well, because the pack didn't like having her around, because she was a liability, you know?"

"Oh, really?" Zhara now sounded curious. "Well, I guess that makes sense, but it's still a little mean, don't you think?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is," Kasu said, trying to hide her own sadness.

"So, what's your name?" Zhara asked, curiosity overwhelming her.

"Huh? Oh - it's Kasu."

"Kah-sue? How odd," Zhara mused.

"No odder than Zhara," Kasu returned.

Zhara grinned at that.

"Hey, why don't you come back to the house with me?" she offered. She sniffed. "You smell like you could use a bath."

_I'm going to give Firefang a whack for this later_. _Only she would pick smelly berry dye_. "I'd love to," she said aloud, "but I'm trying to find my friend -"

"Who's your friend?" Zhara interrupted.

"Her name's Firefang - she's a Persian -"

"A Persian?" Zhara shrugged one shoulder. "She'll be going to sleep now anyway. Tell you what. Come back to my house, get a bath, and play with me for a while - I get _so_ lonely for talk, my human's nice, but she absolutely _can't_ understand 'mon language - and I'll help you find your friend when the sun goes down."

Kasu weighed her options. On the one hand, she could refuse, and continue her so far futile search for Firefang or the forest. On the other, she could accept, and pass the daylight hours in relative safety.

And maybe satisfy some of her curiosity about these humans as well...

"Okay. But I _really_ need a nap - I've been up all night." She didn't mention why.

"No problem - my human goes for tutoring every day about midday, so we can nap then until she returns." Zhara had already started going back up the alley. She looked over her shoulder at Kasu. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah!" Kasu dogtrotted after the other Eevee.

* * *

Zhara's home was unlike all the other homes Kasu had seen.

It was large, situated in about the middle of town, and beautiful. Kasu learned immediately that Zhara's human was a young girl called Melissa - a bit spoiled, but bighearted and very much attached to Zhara. Melissa was immediately enchanted with Kasu. Like Zhara, though, she felt the apparently brown Eevee needed a bath before she set foot in the house. So the first room Kasu ever saw in a human home was the bathroom.

The concept of a "bath" for an Eevee was like that of a cat. Therefore, Kasu was completely unprepared for what happened.

"What is she _doing_!" she yowled at Zhara.

"Bathing you."

"_This_ is a _bath_!" Kasu spluttered as she was rinsed with the attached showerhead. "_Eugh_!" Dirt - and dye - rippled off her fur in waves, carried away by spraying water. And the truth was revealed.

"No _way_! You're silver _too_!" Zhara put her paws on the edge of the tub, staring at the bedraggled Kasu.

"Don't remind me," the disgruntled Eevee snarled.

Zhara said nothing more as Kasu was dried off, but sat watching with a speculative look in her eyes.

"I'm impressed - you didn't claw her," she said when the now-clean Eevee was placed on the tile floor.

"I figured that wouldn't be a good idea," Kasu replied. "I want to see the inside of a human home, and I didn't want to be kicked out on my tail for acting up."

"Good idea," Zhara smirked. "You look so much better with your silver fur."

"Oh, don't start," Kasu grumbled. "I hate my fur. I had to leave the pack because of this fur. I hate it!"

Zhara gave her a sympathetic look, but when she spoke again it wasn't about fur color.

* * *

Kasu found herself having the time of her life.

She had always loved Mahk and Cheggah beyond all others, but she had never hung out with females her own age in the pack. Now, not only did she have that, she had someone who was more like her than she knew - it was strange, she felt, to have met another with her extremely rare fur color, and not only that, but the other was perfectly fine with her coloration.

It made her think - something no one else had so far done.

She saw the inner workings of a human household, too - the kitchens, where interesting smells distracted both her nose and her mind; the den, where Kasu nearly ended her career with a falling encyclopedia set she'd been unconsciously pushing; and, most of all, Melissa's bright rooms, where the two Eevees and the young girl invented whole worlds of play that involved a lot of giggling (on all sides).

The promised nap did wonders for her mood as well. She woke late in the afternoon, refreshed, and spent much of the remaining daylight playing with her new friends. But, as the sun set, her worries began to reassert themselves.

"I really should go," she told Zhara regretfully. "I mean, this has been really fun - but..."

"I know, I know, you've got that quest of yours." Zhara stretched, catlike. "Wait until Melissa goes to sleep, then I can help you find your friends. I know one place where you can find a Meowth or two nearby."

"I thought no one could find the Meowths except other Meowths."

Zhara winked.

She was as good as her word. After seeing Melissa to sleep, the silver Eevee joined her forest counterpart on the wall.

"That way," she muttered, indicating with her nose their direction.

Kasu followed her obediently. Zhara moved unerringly in her chosen path, her steps quick and light.

They reached the courtyard of a tall building, complete with fountain. Here, Zhara stopped.

"There's usually a Meowth or two around here at some point," she said quietly. "Humans make wishes by that fountain and throw coins in it for luck. Some of the braver Meowths come here to scrounge up some change - not many, because they don't like getting wet, but some."

"They like change?"

"They like anything round and shiny," Zhara explained. "I've known Meowths that had a human's fortune hidden in their den."

"Wow."

"I'd better go before I'm missed," the other Eevee said after a few minutes of waiting.

"Oh... hey, Zhara? Thanks for everything." Kasu flicked her tail. "I've never had a fun day like that before - really I haven't."

"You need more girl friends, then," Zhara smiled. She patted Kasu's shoulder. "Good luck with that quest of yours - and if you ever come back around here, come see me."

"I will," Kasu promised.

"Well, shucks, I'd love to stay longer and gossip, but there's your Meowth and I'm going to be missed soon." Zhara pointed at a slinking shadow along the courtyard wall. "Later - and don't get eaten by a mountain 'mon, I'd be _so_ upset."

"I'll try not to," Kasu said, but the other Eevee was already gone, turning a nearby corner so fast she was barely a silver blur on the gray stone. Kasu started a little, surprised at the speed of her departure, but then shook it off and waited for the shadow to come in the open.

She'd never seen a Meowth before. Meowth were strictly urban 'mons, and didn't come to live in the forest until after they evolved. She took a moment to observe the small cream-colored feline - not as graceful as Firefang, but still moving with a fluidity she knew she could never match. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the shadows toward the Meowth.

The rumors were true - you couldn't sneak up on a Meowth. The little cat spun in surprise at her approach.

"Hey, what're you doing here? Whaddaya want?" The fur on his back was standing up. "Didn't anybody ever tell you Eevees shouldn't go out at night?"

"Probably, but obviously I didn't listen. I'm looking for a friend."

"No friend, no friend here!" he snapped, fishing frantically in the fountain's shallow water. "I'm busy, kid. Go away."

"Her name's Firefang - she's a Persian."

"Talk to me not - Firefang? You're Firefang's little Eevee friend?" The Meowth's manner had changed. He peered at her in surprise. "She said you'd be brown - and you'd smell bad."

"I had a bath - it washed out the dye." She prudently decided not to tell the whole story. Fortunately, the cat seemed to accept it.

"Musta been some bath," the Meowth muttered. "My sympathy."

"Oh, it wasn't all bad," Kasu said flippantly. "Do you know where she is?"

"Huh? Oh, Firefang? Yeah, I do. Help me get some of these coins out and I'll take you to her."

"All right." Kasu leapt up to the fountain.

"Just do what I do - dip your paw in and grab 'em." The cat demonstrated, shaking his paw vigorously when he got it out. "Ergh - water."

"If you don't like water that much, why do you go for the coins?"

"I like coins," he muttered, sounding almost embarrassed. "Besides, if I get enough of them, that pretty girl Meowth might talk to me," he added, puffing out his narrow chest ever so slightly. "She won't talk to any Meowth who hasn't amassed a good-sized hoard."

"I see," Kasu murmured, amused. "Well, how about I help you like this?"

And without warning, she jumped into the little pool.

"Hey!" the Meowth yelped as he was splashed with water. "Watch it! What're you _doing_?"

"Getting your coins." She had already scraped a good number of them off the bottom of the pool and set them on the ledge. As she had thought, it was much easier to do than grabbing for them from the ledge. "It's not that deep, and I like water."

"I don't see how you can," the Meowth replied, sounding more awed than annoyed. "I don't like it - it's all... wet."

"That's the idea, silly," Kasu grinned. "I used to swim in the river back home. It was good exercise."

"Weird," the Meowth muttered, but he was grinning too.

* * *

It didn't take long to amass most of the pool coins on the ledge. The Meowth (who introduced himself as Duskpaw) scooped them into a bag he'd brought just for that purpose.

"Better leave some on the bottom of the pool," he advised. "The humans who own this place will get mad if they don't get some coins too, and then I won't be able to come here anymore."

"All right." Kasu leapt out of the pool and shook herself off vigorously, spraying Duskpaw with water droplets.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry," she apologized. "I forgot."

Duskpaw shook his head.

"Well, come on," he said, seizing the bag and rearing up on his hind legs. He slung the bag over one shoulder.

"You can walk like that?" Kasu asked in amazement.

"For short distances," he replied. "We're not going far. Come on!"

Kasu followed him, listening to his grumbling with amusement. He was true to his word - the alleyway he finally stopped in wasn't very far from the fountain at all. He dropped his bag and kicked at one of the trashcans.

"Stupid thing never wants to move - ah, here we go."

All Kasu saw was blank brick wall.

"It's down here at the bottom - got it."

With the ease of long practice, he pulled three loose bricks out of the wall, revealing a small opening.

"In you go, missy, that's the hideout."

Kasu stared at the dark hole dubiously.

"That?"

"It's an abandoned human building," he explained. "We Meowths use it as a base of operations. If Firefang isn't here now, she will be soon."

"If you say so." Kasu wriggled through the hole, emerging in a dark, dusty room. There were a few furry shadows along the wall, but none of them were Persian-sized, and her heart sank.

"Duskpaw, she's not here," she muttered as the young Meowth slid through to stand next to her.

"She will be. Now help me put these bricks back. One of the sentries will put the can back, but we have to put the bricks back."

"Sentries?" Kasu asked as she moved to help.

"Yeah. They watch for humans and dog 'mons. They spotted us well before we ever got to the alley."

"And what about the ones in here?" Kasu whispered, glancing around.

"They're all okay. They know Firefang - if any of 'em give you trouble just drop her name and they'll back off. But stick with me and you shouldn't have a bit of trouble."

"Okay. By the way... thanks."

"No problem." He hefted the bag, grinning. "You helped me. Wanna see my hoard? It's upstairs where none of the others like to go."

"Sure," Kasu said quickly, eager to be out of this room with all the searching eyes.

She followed him up a flight of creaky stairs. They climbed up to the highest story, Duskpaw talking all the while.

"See, this used to be a human hotel, but since the town never grew much bigger, they couldn't keep it. No one was coming to stay in it. So they boarded it up. Now we live here - most of us - and we go wherever we want. But I'm the only one who uses this last room," he explained as they came to a closed door, "because I'm the only one who knows how to work the knob."

"The others can't turn a knob?"

"It's locked from the inside. I'm the only one who knows how to unlock it." He rummaged under the faded, tattered rug and produced a long metal wire. "Watch." He leapt up and latched on to the knob. With practiced ease he picked the lock and the door swung open. "See?"

"Wow, that's cool!" Kasu enthused.

"Isn't it?" Duskpaw bragged, jumping down from the knob. "I even have a window."

The room was dusty, but in the corner, a mound of gleaming human coins was piled high. Duskpaw poured the contents of his bag on the pile, grinning.

"It's getting bigger," he said happily.

"Maybe that girl will talk to you," Kasu smiled. She padded over to the grimy window and leapt up to the windowsill. There was a small place where the glass had been cleaned - a space about the right size for a Meowth's head - and here Kasu planted herself, peering out the window. It was a good view of the alleyway and of the surrounding rooftops.

It was a few seconds before she realized what she was seeing.

"Hey - it's Firefang - and Tenebrae and Archimedes!" She was slightly alarmed at that.

"Huh?" Duskpaw leapt up beside her. "No way!"

"C'mon, let's go down and meet them!" Kasu chirped, leaping from the windowsill and darting toward the door, her Meowth friend right behind her.

* * *

_I'll update this thing again in two weeks. Peace._


	8. Elsewhere

**_A/N: Okay, yeah, I'm not making any more updating promises, because inevitably, when I do, my computer gets a virus or it crashes or the Internet connection screws up or all three. But I AM going to finish this sonofamonkey if it KILLS me. :: knocks on wood ::_**

**_This chapter is a little different from the rest - I felt it was time to pay a little attention to the other parts of the story and set up some things that really need to happen. Don't be surprised if something doesn't make sense. It probably isn't supposed to._**

**_R+R at the bottom as usual._**

* * *

"I don't understand how she could have slipped out without _anyone_ noticing."

"That's how she is," Mahk reminded his friend. "Kasu's a sly one. She'd get along well with Meowths, she's such a sneak."

Cheggah didn't reply. His big Flareon face, however, was more than a little sad.

It had been a long time since that ill-fated evolution ceremony, or at least it felt that way. Mahk knew in his head that it couldn't have been more than a few weeks, but every time he examined it logically his heart sank.

And his poor mother... she too was heartsick, constantly imploring the deaf Rama to continue the search for the silver Eevee. Rama, however, while he was sympathetic to the family's feelings, felt that the best interests of the pack were served by the disappearance of the silverpelt. Mahk knew he felt this way - the young Jolteon had been among those in the token search party sent out the day after. The search had been halfhearted, not taken seriously by anyone except Cheggah, Demi, and Mahk himself.

Now it was as though she had never existed; life went on as normal. The only exception was the closing off of La'Shanke's den. The Vaporeon shaman, upon her return from the ceremony with her four newly evolved Vaporeons, had heard the whole sorry tale and promptly shut herself off from the pack. Cheggah had tried to talk to her through the den opening, but got no response. Mahk hadn't even tried.

Beneath the tree, the two friends now lay. Mahk always found it hard not to think of his foster sister when under this tree; it was nearly impossible not to recall her walking up to them the day of the ceremony and the subsequent conversation.

He hoped that, wherever she was, she was all right.

"Say, Mahk...?"

"Yeah?"

Cheggah lay on his belly, front paws precisely folded as he stared off into the distance. Mahk noted idly that he was looking in the direction of his father's den.

"You ever think... we could go after her ourselves?"

This was not a new topic of conversation. Mahk always felt irritated by it.

"We've been over this. Your father would throw a fit, we'd be severely punished, and anyway it's been too long. How do you plan to find her? It's a big world out there and she could be anywhere..." _always assuming she survived the first few days in the first place,_ he added silently.

"Does all that matter?" Cheggah asked, as he had so many times before. "She's your sister and my friend. If not us... who?"

"Who indeed?"

Mahk jumped. Behind them, silently eavesdropping, was La'Shanke.

"I was looking for you two," the shaman said quite calmly.

"F-for us?" Mahk said almost timidly. "Whatever for?"

"Why, for exactly the same reasons you were just discussing," La'Shanke said, giving them both her patented "pay attention" glare.

"What, looking for Kasu?"

"Exactly." La'Shanke's glare sharpened. "Frankly, I'm surprised at you two. Why haven't you done it yet?"

"You heard - "

"Of course I heard. And Cheggah was right. There are more important things." La'Shanke stepped forward until she and the young Jolteon were almost nose-to-nose.

"One would think you'd remember your promise... the one you made when your mother took in Kasu."

"The promise?" Mahk felt a glimmer of memory, but it had been long enough ago that it wasn't automatically coming to mind.

"The one where you promised to look after her..."

A cold winter wind... the feel of snow on his paws... and Mahk got it. "Oh! I remember."

"You're not keeping it."

Mahk flinched.

"Staying here, finding every excuse not to go after her..." La'Shanke waved a paw. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're afraid to go off pack lands, even for your sister's sake."

"I'm not afraid of _anything_!" Mahk exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch.

"Good," La'Shanke said, smirking. "Prove it."

Mahk stood for a moment, legs trembling slightly. Suddenly he whirled on Cheggah.

"Hey, let's go! Now! What are we waiting for?"

Cheggah gave his wild-eyed best friend a strange look, stepping back to avoid the bristling spines.

"Well... if you say so," he said slowly. "Awful quick change of mind - "

"I SAID LET'S GO! My sister's out there and I'm not staying here another minute!" No question about it, Mahk was definitely unsettled. Cheggah glanced over at La'Shanke and caught her look of approval.

"All right, buddy, we're going," he soothed, turning back to his friend. "We're going. Now?" he directed at La'Shanke.

"Now, if you want to be well gone before you're missed," La'Shanke advised.

"Got it."

* * *

As she watched them go, La'Shanke felt troubled. Certainly she had fulfilled the mission the spirits had sent her on - now that the boys were off looking for Kasu, things would start falling into place the way they were intended to. But still, the shaman felt apprehensive; following the directions of a spirit she had never dealt with before was a trying experience, and one she wasn't sure she was right in doing. 

Sighing, she dragged herself back to the river and her den, flopping in the center of the small riverside cavern with the greatest sigh of all.

"Tell me," she implored of no one in particular, "am I doing the right thing here?"

There was no answer, but she knew in her heart a spirit smiled. She did not think it was one of her four.

* * *

_It was dark; the surroundings were blurred but familiar. He knew it was a dream. It had to be._

_Rama was standing before him. Then, he had been young, young and filled with the zeal of the young ruler; determined to get rid of any pack member he considered a threat to the pack's safety. Of course, that meant him. He stood silently as his banishment was pronounced. He knew how this ended; he couldn't be angry anymore. But his dream self, the one caught in memory, still was._

_"Why am I being banished? My only crime is this new discovery!" He gestured angrily at his own body._

_"That's all that's necessary," Rama said severely. "This will cause discord among the pack... and you, you with your blatant disregard of custom, will bring the humans' wrath down on us!"_

_"The traditional way is not always the best!" he shouted. "I don't know what you're more afraid of - change, or humans!"_

_At that Rama leaped at him; his present self watched dispassionately as for the thousandth time he received the deep wounds that would become his current scars.

* * *

_

_But he didn't wake up; instead, the dream faded into something new. He was an Eevee again, sitting in the dirt before the Council rock. On the rock, a Vaporeon perched; La'Shanke, restored to her former vigor. He remembered it well, though it had been long since he was an Eevee. This would be an interesting dream, he was sure._

_La'Shanke was speaking. It was a story; he remembered these days, when the young Eevees would gather to hear one of the shaman's tales. She had many stories, some of which he had never heard. He had loved her story-telling voice, rich and vibrant, alive with the sounds of a story. She could make the sound of rain on leaves. She had been heard imitating the voice of a human. And when she howled like a Mightyena, everyone present felt their hair stand on end._

_Tonight was a particularly long story, one he'd only heard that once - the story of a brave Arcanine. She had been small for an Arcanine, but courageous, and she had surmounted impossible odds to survive in a world increasingly dominated by humans. He smiled, even in the dream, and settled back to listen._

_But, though the name was right, the story was wrong._

_He listened in surprise as La'Shanke instead described a young Eevee, like himself outcast for being different. Like the Kasu he remembered from the story, she was courageous, strong, and clever - and she too was surviving in a harsh world. Shocked, but enthralled, he listened with perked ears as La'Shanke described her ordeals._

_"Do you understand?" she asked, staring right at him. And her face wavered and bled into a black one, with gleaming red eyes._

_And then, finally, he woke up.

* * *

_

It was a forbidding mountain, dark and imposing even in full sunlight. Crowned by ever-present snow, it was the undisputed king of the mountain range.

Along a long ledge, a lean shape flitted, keeping to the shadows. Across the imposing face it shot, appearing entirely at home in this forsaken place. A momentary pause revealed lavender fur, big ears, and a forked tail; then it was off again, darting along the ledges with expert ease before diving into a deep crack in the cliff face.

"You're late, Eifa," came a stern voice.

"Terribly sorry, Great One," the lean 'mon said, flattening herself on the cold rock in a gesture of submission. "Emeria interrupted my coming."

The other 'mons in the cave were all like her, lavender-furred and big-eared and looking very much scandalized by Eifa's lateness. The one in the center of the loose circle was perched on a rock that served him in place of a pedestal. He glared down at her.

"I see. Don't let it happen again."

"Yes, O Great One," Eifa mumbled, her muzzle still pressed into the floor.

"Good. You may rise."

Gratefully peeling herself off the floor, Eifa joined the loose circle as the one on the pedestal raised his voice.

"My faithful followers! Now is the time. You know as well as I the problem. I have proposed the solution. Are you all ready to carry out the plan?"

A resounding roar confirmed it.

"Good! Now, we know our assignments. Be ready, my faithful friends, and stand vigilant for my sign. Listen, and I will tell you more..."

Outside, the wind sped up as it continually fled that king of mountains.

* * *

And somewhere further down the king mountain, another lean frame caught the change in the wind and worried.

* * *


	9. One More For Good Measure

_Don't kill me. I KNOW it's January. I KNOW. This time it's a good excuse. Explanation at the bottom._

_

* * *

_

_"You cannot escape your destiny."_

"I know. But what _is_ my destiny?"

_"I cannot tell you that. That's something you have to find for yourself."_

"Damn. C'mon, just a hint?"

_"... You're a persistent one, that's for certain. I will say this: the path you are on is the right one. You have made friends on this journey who will stand by you and aid you. Stay with them."_

"You mean Tenebrae and Archimedes?"

_"Not only them. The Persian, the Meowth, the little Eevee... they are all your friends. You have touched them and thus they are a part of your legend as well. They have a role to play, same as you do."_

"I don't understand..."

_"You will. The things you do have to be done. Old dams must be broken and the water allowed to spill forth."_

"... I have to break a dam?"

_"It's a metaphor. Just follow your heart and you won't go wrong. I shall be beside you."_

"Hey, wait! Don't go! Wait - "

* * *

Kasu woke up. 

Sunlight streamed through the dirty window and caught in Duskpaw's extensive hoard, refracting into a tiny aurora in the opposite wall. Duskpaw himself was asleep atop said hoard, snoring lightly and snuffling a little in his dream state. Kasu blinked the sleep out of her eyes and yawned. The sun was setting; she was surprised no one else was up and moving. Archimedes had said they would leave as soon as possible earlier.

Earlier... well, it was no surprise no one was up. It had been an eventful morning.

Almost as soon as the three older 'mons had entered the Meowths' hideout, Tenebrae had pounced on Kasu. He had alternated between hugs and scolding, obviously relieved. He wasn't the only one. Archimedes and Firefang fussed as well, all shocked to hear of her adventures and amazed to see her perfectly all right. It was an emotional moment, and a very awkward one for all four members involved.

Then Archimedes made a crack about how Tenebrae was getting soft, and everything was back to normal. Kasu smiled at the memory of the Sableye's expression.

Firefang had explained a lot of things to her; after she'd lost Kasu, the Persian had almost immediately gone to the Meowth hideout and left the message to be on the lookout. Less than thirty minutes after that, she'd been in the forest again, taking a scolding from Tenebrae for losing her (until Archimedes reminded him that _he'd_ lost her a couple times too, which made him shut up pretty quickly). An hour after she'd originally lost Kasu, the whole trio was in the town, searching frantically. Even paranoid Tenebrae. To Kasu's amazement, the Sableye had been getting along a little better with Firefang (so Archimedes told her) and had searched several human residences himself. Tenebrae and the others, for their part, were shocked by her tale of what she'd done in those same two days. Archimedes in particular was curious about Zhara and the human Melissa, while Tenebrae was definitely sure he'd seen the same Charmeleon she'd met, though he ruefully admitted he hadn't tried talking to him.

"It would have been a good lead, better than anything we'd got so far," he'd said. "Someone hit me for being so stupid."

Firefang had. As always, that had sparked an argument.

Duskpaw, for his part, had done nothing but sit and stare. When Firefang had complemented his generosity in leading Kasu to the hideout, disregarding the coin-gathering incident entirely. Kasu had been deeply amused by his stammering and blushing. The pretty Meowth he'd mentioned several times had been looking on, she learned later from him. Duskpaw was deathly afraid she'd been put off by his stammering. Kasu assured him that it had been cute, not stupid-sounding, but that only made him more twitchy and nervous.

Now Kasu lay curled up on the old hotel room floor, the sun shining off silver fur that had never been so clean and bright before. Worry for her newfound Meowth friend overrode the inevitable soul-searching about herself. Kasu rolled over and stared at the sleeping frame.

He wasn't sleeping anymore.

"Evening, Kasu," he yawned.

"Oh! Evening, Dusk. Sorry. I was thinking." Kasu sat up. Looking at her Meowth friend, it was obvious the same worries that flowed in her brain were in his as well. "Bad night?"

"Kinda. Unsettled dreams." Duskpaw got up and stretched in classic cat style, the hopped down off the pile of coins to sit next to her. "Kept dreaming about voices - that pretty Meowth telling me I'm no good, my mum telling me I'm not doing what I should with my life, some weird voice telling me I'm on the wrong path, whatever that means. I mean," and now he turned to Kasu with an earnest look on his face, "Meowths are supposed to live like this - amassing hoards, guarding against Murkrow, living so long... and hopefully finding a mate. That's what I've been doing... if it's not the right path, what is?"

"I don't know," Kasu answered truthfully. "Then again, I'm not a good example of a 'normal' Eevee anyway. And it's not just my fur color. Good, normal Eevees live in their packs and stay with them. They don't go off gallivanting on strange adventures with stranger 'mons." She sighed. "Destiny's a bitch."

"Destiny?" Duskpaw cocked an ear toward her. "That's big talk."

"It's something I've heard a lot lately, in my dreams." The room was darkening by the moment; the sun was going to its bed and leaving them in shadow. One last gleam off the coins and it was gone. Kasu's eyes remained fixed upon that point for a very long time. "Destiny," she continued as Duskpaw remained silent. "We don't always get to choose our destiny, and I don't know that it would even be a choice at all, were we to get one. I had three choices... and I couldn't choose any of them."

"Are we talking about evolution?"

"Maybe. No. I don't know. How I wish I knew what I was doing!" With that exclamation, all the fire seemed to go out of her body, and she sank halfway to the floor. "Ayah... I'm sorry, Dusk. I didn't mean to go all pity-fiesta on you."

"'S all right. Everyone needs to get it out sometimes." Duskpaw gave a fanged grin. "It's not your fault your life's a mess."

"But it is," Kasu mused. To Duskpaw's surprise, there was no self-pity in the tone. "I chose to leave. I had help doing so, but it was my choice. Question is, would I have done it without the help?"

"If you hadn't, and you stayed home, would you regret it?"

"Probably..."

"Then you made a good choice, I think." Duskpaw cocked his head. "You don't regret meeting Firefang and Tenebrae and Archimedes, and making friends with them... with me and with the Eevee Zhara... do you?"

"... No. You're right," Kasu said suddenly. "You're right. I'd never have met all of you if I'd stayed home... and I'd have missed out on so much. No, you're right. If I don't regret my choice..." she heaved a great sigh, one of relief this time, "then it was a good thing."

"There, that's more like it." Duskpaw smiled again.

"Thanks, Dusk." Kasu got up and gave his cheek a quick lick, to his surprise and embarrassment. "I really needed to get that straightened out."

"If you ask me, I say once you get everything sorted out in your head, you'll be okay," Duskpaw opinioned.

"So... you're _not_ okay," Kasu said, her voice pointed.

Duskpaw started.

"That girl Meowth," the Eevee went on relentlessly. "She's never shown any overt liking for you, right?"

"Right..." Duskpaw had definitely deflated.

"So why chase _her_?" Kasu was watching him with flat eyes. "If she's shallow enough to want only the Meowths that have amassed a good-sized hoard, she can't be worth much personality-wise. Bet old Firefang never would have gone for the one with the biggest hoard."

"No, Ah wouldn't've," came the voice from outside the door. "One 'o ya two open this damn thing!"

Duskpaw, nonplussed, got up and jumped for the knob, twisting it easily. Firefang strolled in calmly, giving the young Meowth as he slid down the door to the floor a pointed look.

"Lil' cub's got a good point, kit," she said in her low voice. "No decent Meowth worth more than two seconds' conversation would give a flyin' flip about yer hoard. No Meowth with brains 's gonna wait forever for a Meowth to get a big hoard if she likes 'im."

Duskpaw sat rooted, his eyes wide. Kasu felt sorry for him. She'd been a little hard, yes, but she'd never meant to shatter his pride like that. Firefang, with her usual efficient bluntness, just had. Yet it seemed to be working. Despite the harshness of the speech and the subject, there was no agonized disbelief in his eyes.

_He's thought about this before and come to the same conclusion. This is just additional confirmation._ The more she thought about it, the sorrier she felt for him. He'd known, _known_ his venture was hopeless, yet he'd been unable to just give up. It was apparent in his eyes, in his body language, in his expression. And Firefang appeared to know it too.

"Well, hell, kid, that's no good," came Tenebrae's opinion from his place by the door. He was leaning against the doorframe, his almost-invisible eyebrows indicating his sympathetic expression to Kasu. Behind him, Archimedes wore a similar expression, but one with a more calculating thought behind it.

"Yes, indeed," the Noctowl murmured. "Woman trouble..." He exchanged a look with Tenebrae that even human males would have recognized. Firefang gave them a sharp look that they ignored. Archimedes continued, "There's nothing left for you here, if that's the case."

"What're you saying?" Duskpaw asked. Kasu knew already.

"Come with us," Archimedes invited. "See the world. Be a member of the new and improved Doom Patrol!"

"Doom Patrol? I saw that on a comic book in the trash once..." Duskpaw mused. Archimedes frowned and Firefang laughed heartily.

"Great minds think alike," she hastened to assure him. "Coincidental, Ah'm sure."

"Hmph." Archimedes was only slightly mollified.

"Like the featherhead was saying," Tenebrae said into the sudden silence, "we can always use new members. We can put up with a punk Persian and an evil little Eevee, why not a maniac Meowth too?"

"Maniac?"

"It was spur-of-the-moment, forgive me." Tenebrae's toothy grin said otherwise. Duskpaw glanced over at Kasu and saw her grinning. She nodded to him, her eyes sparkling, and he made his decision.

"Sure! Always wanted to travel."

"Great!" Tenebrae pushed himself upright and stuck out one clawed hand. "So now we are five!"

"Great. You'd better not come up with any dumb mottos this time," Archimedes said, nevertheless placing his wing over the hand.

"Ah agree with Archy." Firefang placed a paw on Archimedes's wing.

"Cool! I've never been part of anything like this before!" Duskpaw reared up on his hind legs and placed his paw on Firefang's.

"If I'm right, you'll never meet another team like it," Kasu put in, her paw landing on Duskpaw's. "We are five."

"Soon to be six, if we hurry up," Archimedes said, removing his wing from the muddle and breaking it. We've got a lot of ground to cover. Firefang, do you have those directions?"

"Sure do, Cap'n," Firefang grinned. "Ready ta go when ya'll are."

"Awesome. Okay, Doom Patrol," Tenebrae said authoritavely, "move out!

* * *

Nightfall over the town, and the lights came on one-by-one. Zhara perched on the wall outside her home, watching the activity around her. No lost Eevees coming down the alleys tonight, she mused. A pity; Melissa had greatly enjoyed the company of Kasu, as had Zhara herself. She sighed deeply, hoping against hope that her fellow silver Eevee had found her friends and was back on that strange quest of hers. Her coming had been a great thing for Melissa at least. The small girl wasn't a normal human; Zhara didn't understand it at all, but there were always those humans called "doctors" around, and poor Melissa wasn't allowed to go to regular school with the other small children of the neighborhood. There were other things, but Zhara felt honest enough with herself to admit she wasn't quite savvy enough to understand everything the humans did and what exactly constituted "normal" with them. She put her head down on her paws, for once not feeling inclined to join the city's activity and wander as she normally did. 

Something was in the air, a feeling of expectancy. Zhara's fur stood on end with it, and had ever since Kasu had left at the fountain. The silver Eevee shifted, not able to get comfortable and too weary and lethargic to just get off the wall and go join her human for a nice long sleep. She watched the lights of cars driving by for a long time before finally dropping off to sleep.

* * *

"There - she's asleep." 

"Finally." The lean shapes in the shadows finally moved. Blue-and-yellow, they were 'mons of a sort not often seen in the city, much less here. The second one moved forward decisively, while the first hung back.

"You _sure_ this one's the right one?"

"How many blasted silver Eevees d'you think are in this area? It's a rare gene. 'Sides, Aheba said to get a silver Eevee. He didn't specify further than that. How's he gonna know the difference?"

"Well, he's a mystic," the first said, cowering slightly in the face of his partner's annoyance. "Maybe he _can_ tell the difference...?"

"Bull. Never met a mystic yet who wasn't a phony. Including Emeria." The second 'mon turned. "Now, c'mon. We'd better grab her now if we wanna get back to the mountain before Aheba makes his move."

"All right, all right, but if he finds out I'm blaming you." The first fell in line reluctantly.

"Fine."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_The reason for the long hiatus is simple: new generation. New Eons. I saw those and went "ho shi-". But after a long bit of thought, this is the decision:_

_Leafia and Glacia will NOT feature at all in the story. This is set in an indeterminate region, but it's not Shinou, and there is no Moss Rock or Ice Rock or whatever-they're-called. Thus, the new Eons are unobtainable and probably wouldn't be known to any of the characters here (except maybe La'Shanke, but she's crazy so yeah). Other new Pokémon may make cameos, but don't hold your breath. This story will continue as it always has._

_Before the inevitable questions from the new readers:_ this is not a PMD fic_. Check the "Pubish" date, this is way older than PMD - even older, because there was an early version of this fic years ago before I went back to rework and try finishing it._

_I never intended for Duskpaw nor Zhara to become permanent characters in the fic, but after my long soul-searching, they have gained new importance, so if you didn't like them, sorry. They're in for good now. :3_

_Sorry for the long note. I'll try to get a new chapter up sooner this time, but we all know how well _those_ promises work out. :3_

_-NOF_


	10. In the Mountain's Shadow

_Holy ---- on a ----- sandwich with ----- on top. I uploaded a new chapter that quick? It's amazing._

_I win, LV. X3_

* * *

Kasu had to admit that it was nice to have someone closer to her own age and experience level in the Doom Patrol. Duskpaw was an enthusiastic addition to the team, his quickness often putting him ahead of all the others on the trail, save for Archimedes. Kasu found him always as easy to talk to as she had found him that first day. It was a welcome relief from Tenebrae and Firefang's continuous bickering and Archimedes's stoic silence, she had to admit. Definitely a step up. 

The nights passed as they always had, and the days were filled with strange dreams. Over and over she woke from dreams of a huge mountain and a dark face like that of the spirit she sometimes saw. There were differences, differences that stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb. This face was solemn, the result of injustices long past, young but scarred. She felt pity for that dark face and often dwelt upon it in the night hours, until at times she seemed almost as stoic as Archimedes. All of them noticed her curious silence, but she did not speak about it, and they did not ask.

Some days from the town, they finally saw their goal.

"Well, there it is," Firefang said, waving a paw expansively. "Th' King of Mountains. Queen Emeria lives somewhere on that monster, as does mah old friend Cataract."

"Is it really that close?" Duskpaw asked in wonder.

"Nah. It's still a ways off," Firefang explained. "That's how big it is. Still a few days more."

"Wow." Duskpaw stared at it in wonder. He wasn't alone; the rest of the Doom Patrol was also staring at the monstrosity that was before them. Kasu's eyes were wide - at this distance, it was hard to tell, but it looked just like the mountain from her dreams. She shook herself slightly.

"Wow." Tenebrae was definitely impressed. "_Now_ I feel small. Eh, Archimedes?"

"Agreed." The Noctowl continued to stare. "Quite a sight."

"Yeah," Firefang said. "But it ain't gettin' any closer while we're standin' here gapin'. Let's keep movin'."

"Good point." Archimedes took off again, as always leading them onward. The others followed, Duskpaw constantly looking up at the mountain looming in the distance. Kasu hung back a little bit, then turned aside. She had spotted a small rocky hill, off to the side somewhat.

"Where you going, Kasu?" Tenebrae called suddenly. Kasu looked and saw he had just paused to look at her from further up the trail. The rest of the party had also stopped.

"I just want a better look," she called back. "Go on, I'll catch up in a minute."

"Hell no," Firefang growled. "Not again. Ah'll stay with ya, just to make sure nothing else happens."

Kasu couldn't fault her logic, and apparently neither could the others. Firefang padded back to her and the two headed for the hill together.

The view from the top of the hill, in full moonlight, was spectacular. Kasu stared down at the sloping valley before them, starting its downward slope just below her rock and going down for quite a ways before climbing back upward toward the mountain range. She saw, before the mountain, two foothills placed exactly like little sentinels on either side of the great mountain. The mountain itself rose into the sky gracefully, capped with white. The moonlight glanced off the white peak and left a sort of aurora effect on the snow.

"Wow." Kasu was stunned.

"Yeah, it's pretty," Firefang acknowledged. "But all that prettiness means rough goin'. We'll have our work cut out for us for a while."

"Yes, but for this moment it's worth it," Kasu breathed. Firefang gave her an odd look but said nothing. The two stood there for a long moment, then Firefang spoke again.

"Look - there's Archimedes. They're gettin' pretty far ahead."

"Yeah." With and effort, Kasu bought herself back to reality. "Let's go."

Firefang easily leapt down from the rock and led the way back to the trail, cutting across the valley floor without a single glance at the mountain. Kasu followed her example, but sneaked a few more covert glances at the massive peak as she ran.

Yes - it was the mountain she saw in her dreams. But why?

* * *

Daylight in the valley found the five 'mons already tucked away in a hollow. Duskpaw, Tenebrae, and Firefang slept in a big pile, with Tenebrae literally leaning against Firefang's long face and Duskpaw sprawled across her back and down her side, his hind paws drifting in the grass. Archimedes was perched on a stunted tree, feathers fluffed out and head sunken into his shoulders as he snored a counterpoint to Duskpaw's snuffling. 

Kasu lay awake. Stretched out near Firefang, she remained sleepless. It wasn't for lack of trying, either. The young Eevee, no matter where she moved or how long she kept her eyes shut, could not get to sleep.

_Cursed insomnia._ She yawned wearily and shifted again. _I hate this. I used to do this back home all the time; I'd lay awake all night and wouldn't drop off 'til near sunrise._ _Home... I wonder how Mahk and Cheggah are doing. And Demi and La'Shanke... I wonder if they're all okay. I miss them._

Finally she drifted off.

* * *

A great wood; a familiar wood. She'd been there only a few days ago. Kasu stood within the forest again, but it felt like a different forest. She didn't feel the wind, nor did she feel the ground beneath her paws. A dream? It had to be. 

Voices. As she stood there, she became aware of two male voices, coming her way. They were familiar, but she couldn't place them. She focused on them as best she could.

"Face it, man, we're _lost_."

"Shut up! I know generally where we are. I just... can't pinpoint where exactly we are at the moment."

"That's the _definition _of lost, numbnuts!"

"Who're you calling _numbnuts_, blockhead?!"

"You of course, rocks-for-brains!"

She recognized them now. Mahk and Cheggah, locked in a familiar argument. She drew back into the shadow of a tree as they appeared, trading insults back and forth with heat. Mahk had little to no sense of direction, Kasu remembered with fondness. Cheggah wasn't taking it as well as she was at the moment, though; he looked ready to spit fire at his best friend.

Mahk looked around the clearing and deflated.

"Cheggah?"

"What?!"

"I admit it. We're lost."

"Oh, _now_ you admit it." Cheggah was obviously in a very bad mood. There were burrs in his fire-yellow mane and tail, his headtuft was an absolute disaster, and his normally glossy red fur was dusty and dull. Mahk wasn't in much better shape. Kasu felt a pang of pity for both of them.

"I know, I know." Mahk sat down. "Cheggah, what made me think I could find her?"

"That rock you have in place of a brain?"

"You're repeating yourself."

"Whatever." Cheggah sighed, deflating slightly. "Sorry, man. But this hasn't gone well at all. We're lost, we have no idea where Kasu is, and we're woefully unequipped to survive out here. Hell, man, I don't know the woods, and neither do you!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

_"He's right, they're dead meat out here."_

Kasu looked to the side and saw the spirit from so many other dreams.

"Think so?"

_"Know so. Perhaps you'd better give them some help?"_ The spirit faded. Kasu grimaced. So it wasn't a dream, persay. It was something weirder.

_I wonder if I can find a good 'mon therapist after this is all over._

She stepped into the light before the pair of dejected 'mons. For a long moment, they didn't notice her.

Then Mahk's head came up, his eyes incredibly wide. Cheggah followed suit. Both stared at her in shock.

_Let's see... sun sets... that way. _She lifted a paw and pointed west, staring at them pointedly. She could only imagine what they were thinking.

Then they faded from her view, and she fell into a deep sleep.

"Yo. Yo, Archy. Wake up. Ah wanna talk to ya."

* * *

"Huh-wa?" Archimedes woke up and opened one grouchy eye. "What do you want?" 

"We need to talk. About Kasu." The stare was pointed.

"Huh? Oh, fine." Archimedes stretched his wings and shifted on his tree branch, staring down at Firefang, who wasn't really very far below him. Off to the side, he noticed that Tenebrae and Duskpaw remained asleep, but now they were sleeping back-to-back in the area of crushed grass made by Firefang's body.

"Awright, listen." Firefang glanced at them as well. "Have ya noticed her acting... peculiar?"

"Somewhat." Archimedes was fully awake now.

"Quiet, introspective... she's gettin' kinda mystic and angsty on us, ya know?" Firefang shook her head. "Somethin' botherin' her, but she won't come out and talk about it."

"If she doesn't want to talk then there's not much we can do," Archimedes pointed out.

"Except keep an eye on her, ta make sure she's gonna be okay." Firefang heaved a sigh. "Ah love that little cub, and Ah know ya do too. We all do. Ah just wanted ta make ya aware of it, so ya can help me keep an eye on her."

"I see." Archimedes thought for a minute, looking over at the sleeping form of the little silver Eevee. "Yeah, I'll keep an eye on her. If something's wrong, we'll want to be ready for whatever happens."

"Mah thoughts exactly." Firefang stretched. "Sorry fer wakin' ya up, but Ah wanted to get that said while they're all asleep."

"I understand. Get some more rest, we've a long way to go tonight." Archimedes assumed his sleeping posture again as Firefang returned to her sleeping companions.

* * *

Kasu came to full wakefulness as suddenly as she'd fallen asleep. 

_Okay, yeah._ She got up and stretched, knowing she'd never get back to sleep again. _If I'm going to have dreams like that all the time, I need to get myself a good therapist. Soon. Preferably _before _I crack. Then again, I could easily have cracked already and not know it. Oh, what the hell. I'm hungry._

With that thought in mind she searched the immediate surroundings. Nope, no berry trees around here, a pity. There was one a few minutes' walk away, she remembered; they'd eaten their fill last night at that tree. She smiled a little at the memory. Duskpaw had been so stuffed Firefang had to carry him to their hollow on her back. She smirked at his sleeping form and set out under the fading light to find the tree.

She had no problem finding it, for once; it wasn't far and it was one of the few berry trees for quite a distance. Once there, she quite cheerfully grabbed at one of the low-hanging berries and began munching.

"Well, well, well, this is a rare sight indeed."

Kasu choked and spun around in shock, going instinctively into a battle stance. The 'mon before her chuckled.

"Quit that. I'm not going to hurt you."

"After the last fifteen times that's been said to me, I'm not inclined to believe you," Kasu growled. "Something ALWAYS happens to me when someone says that."

"Sucks to be you, then." The other 'mon tossed her golden head. "But I mean it. You're running with Archimedes and Tenebrae, I saw you."

"You know them?" Kasu relaxed a little, staring at the golden canine before her.

"Sure. My name's Nimahri. Nimahri the Ninetales. I'm a member of the Doom Patrol."

"Wha -" Kasu wasn't sure what to say to that.

* * *


	11. No Turning Back

_I have nothing to say in my defense. Point to LV. I will win the next round, you just WATCH me. :3_

* * *

Kasu had never been caught quite so flatfooted. Here she stood, berry juice running down her chin to drip into her scraggly ruff, being teased by a lithe Ninetales, the likes of which she'd never met before, and said Ninetales was not only a friendly but a comrade - one they had been looking for, no less.

It should be noted that Kasu was never at her best within the first hour after waking up, and this night was no exception, especially considering the previous night's insomnia. So she just stood there, mouth ever so slightly open, ruff sporting a brand-new red-brown stain below the chin. Nimahri arched a slim eyebrow.

"Sure you're all right?"

"Uh…" Before Kasu could reply, something even more unexpected happened.

"Mrow?"

Kasu stared.

From somewhere behind Nimahri, a tiny 'mon appeared, one which Kasu had never even heard of. It was blue-and-black, with yellow eyes and a distinctly feline build. From its size and the uncertain way it moved, the 'mon was very young indeed, little more than a cub, Kasu surmised. The little felid stared back at Kasu for a long moment, "mrr"-ing faintly, then started padding toward her on unsteady legs. Kasu stood rooted to the spot as the blue 'mon approached.

Nimahri was watching.

"Yeah, I don't know what he is either. Just a baby, obviously - I found him just a few days back. Some human musta dumped him off."

"Dumped him off? You mean, left him to fend for himself?" At Nimahri's nod, Kasu exclaimed, "That's _horrible_!"

"Some humans are like that, kid." Clearly Nimahri thought along the lines of her fellow Doom Patrol members as far as humans were concerned, but her voice didn't have the utter condemnation Tenebrae's invariably did. Kasu started to comment, then was interrupted by a small squeak as the little cub tripped.

"Oh, whoops! Poor little guy," Kasu murmured, nudging the cat back to its paws. He stared at her with curious eyes, then, with a triumphant "Mewp" snuggled quite comfortably against Kasu's stained ruff.

"Uh…" Once again, Kasu found herself totally at a loss for what to do or say. Nimahri just chuckled.

"Hey, he likes you already," she laughed, sweeping past the stunned Eevee. "Are we going to wake up my - excuse me, _our_ - lazy teammates sometime soon?"

"Uh… sure, but what about…" Kasu looked down at the cub.

"Oh, I've been calling him Arthur." Nimahri stopped and with another graceful sweeping motion turned to face Kasu again. "He keeps up pretty well, for a little cub. He already knows his name, so if he falls behind or gets distracted you can just call him."

"Uh…" Nimahri swept around again and started off in the direction of the hollow. Kasu stared after her.

"Well, fine," she muttered. "Okay, Arthur…" At the sound of his name the cub looked up at her. Without hesitation he broke into a loud purr, and Kasu smiled despite herself.

"Okay, Arthur. We'll go slow. Not like that big yellow show-off," Kasu grumbled, glaring off after Nimahri, who was already out of sight around a bend in the trail. Arthur gave another little squeak as Kasu moved to go down the trail, but as she turned to help him he was already on his paws and toddling along beside her.

* * *

"You're slower than I expected," was Nimahri's comment as they entered the hollow. Kasu gave her a look.

"What… is that the cub you were talking about?" Archimedes asked, clearly as surprised as Kasu had been.

"Wow," Firefang commented. "Nevah seen anythin' like him before."

"Me neither," Duskpaw said excitedly. "Must be a foreign 'mon."

"Probably," Tenebrae agreed, studying Arthur carefully. Arthur toddled about, examining all those present curiously, mewing in surprise when Firefang scooped him up.

"This lil' 'un needs a bath," she commented. "_Bad_."

Nimahri looked a little shamefaced.

"I was a little… occupied."

"Ah'm not criticizing ya," Firefang reassured her. "Only a cat 'mon knows how ta give a cat bath." She proceeded to demonstrate, to the chagrin of Arthur, who like any kitten was not a fan of bathing. Firefang, however, would not be deterred, and after a short few minutes of wriggling Arthur seemed to give up.

In all the furor over Arthur, Kasu slunk to a place next to Duskpaw, who gave her a quick grin and leaned in to whisper, "Can't blame him. I used to hate it when Mom gave me baths."

"Me too," Kasu whispered back, and they shared a grin.

"Arthur aside," Nimahri said, "I'm afraid there's something very strange going on up there on the mountain. That's why I came down, myself."

"What kind of 'strange' are we talking about here?" Tenebrae asked. "I'm not taking on any of the greater 'mons, if that's the case."

"I don't think any of them are involved, though it wouldn't surprise me much if they were," Nimahri told him, referring to the strongest of all the 'mons, creatures on the level of the great birds such as the firebird Moltres. "No, the problem seems to stem from the Eon pack that lives up there."

Kasu gave a little jolt at that, and Archimedes leaned in closer.

"Eon pack, eh? Figures the trouble would be there," Tenebrae commented. "It's always precisely where we need to go."

"You were going there?"

"Kasu is, at any rate," Archimedes said, looking at her. "We were providing escort - Tenebrae's idea - up to Queen Emeria's range. Emeria is an Eon, isn't she?"

"Yeah, just like Jakian was," Nimahri confirmed.

At this point Kasu had to butt in.

"What kind of Eons are they?"

"You don't know?" Nimahri asked. Kasu shook her head violently.

"My old pack regulated our evolutions. We had to become one of the triad, Flareon, Jolteon, or Vaporeon. I'd never heard of any others, not until I met Tenebrae and he told me about this Jakian."

"And if I know these boys, they told you nothing useful," Nimahri said scathingly. Tenebrae grinned, not at all abashed.

"Well, Eevee," Nimahri said, "the ones on the mountain are exactly like your old pack, as far as regulating evolution. Except they all train to evolve into just one variant of Eon - they call themselves Espeons, powerful psychic 'mons. They can read the next movements of anyone around them, they're so attuned with their senses. Very, very powerful." Nimahri sounded a little awed.

"Yup, that's Jakian to a 'T'," Archimedes confirmed.

"How do they do it?" Kasu asked, desperate for this information.

"Not a clue, Eevee."

"My name is Kasu."

"Kasu, whatever." Nimahri flipped one of her many tails. "It's some kind of secret, and I had no reason to ferret it out."

"I see." Kasu had almost expected this answer.

"What's the issue up there?" Tenebrae asked as Kasu seemed disinclined to question the Ninetales further.

"Emeria's called 'Queen' because she keeps order on that mountain," Nimahri began. "Most of the 'mons on the mountain look to the Espeon pack to run rogue 'mons and humans off the mountain, so they can live in peace. In return, they are literally at the pack leader's beck and call. It's been like that forever, as far as I can tell.

"About five years ago or so, the old pack leader stepped down and passed on leadership to Emeria. So far, she's done a good job, and the majority of the mountain is happy with her. But there are whispers…" Nimahri glanced around, saw she had their undivided attention, and continued.

"Emeria had a brother, Aheba, who rumor says was not happy with his sister being chosen over him. Unfortunately, there's said to be a faction of Espeons and other 'mons who support him, though no one really knows who is on what side. Aheba himself has gone to ground - no one can find him. The whole mountain is on edge. That in and of itself would probably sort itself out, given time - Aheba's faction is much, much smaller than that of Emeria, and should it come to an out-and-out fight there's not much dispute on who would win. But there's a snag."

"A snag?" Duskpaw was totally caught up in the story.

"The pack itself, as of two days ago, was swearing up and down that Emeria's allying herself and the pack with some dark creature. Frankly, I think they're making a big fuss over what is likely just a shy dark type 'mon seeking advice from the great Queen, but with Aheba's faction sneaking around on the mountain the rumors all get blown out of proportion. Planting the seed of doubt in the loyal ones, I think. Half of them are sure that Emeria's trying to sweep the mountain clear of all the dissenters by allying herself with some terrible dark legend, and the other half is on the fence." Nimahri sighed. "It's chaos up there. And there's been a whisper that Aheba's got some kind of plan; no one really knows what he's up to, but the rumor is he's gathering the strongest, most unexpected 'mons to him, gaining all the most unusual powers he can, to counter the Espeons' ability to predict the opponent's moves. They can't predict the effects of powers they've never seen before." Nimahri looked right at Kasu. "In other words, if you're wanting to go up the mountain, don't."

Kasu bristled, ever so slightly. She could see the truth in Nimahri's words, and she understood that in her own slightly abrasive way the Ninetales was looking out for her. But to have come so far, and be told to turn back… No. It might be the smarter idea, but Kasu wouldn't - couldn't - turn back, not after everything.

So she set her jaw, and spoke with a flat voice.

"Thanks for the warning. But I'm not turning back now." She looked around at the assembled, blue eyes crystalline. "It might be crazy, it might be stupid, but something has got me this far. I have to see this through." She stood up.

"Kasu…" Tenebrae stared at her. This was not the easygoing Kasu he knew. This was a determined creature, unwilling to let anything stand between her and her goal. Archimedes just shook his head, remembering his conversation with Firefang just that morning.

"Listen, Kasu, don't go crazy on me," Tenebrae continued.

Kasu turned to him, her eyes softening a little.

"I have to do this, Tenebrae. Just like I had to leave my pack and go west. None of you," and she looked at each of them in turn, "have to come with me. None of you had to come in the first place. You chose to travel with me, and I really appreciate everything you've all done for me. But this is my journey, and if you choose not to come along, that's your affair. I…" She paused, and saw, among her assembled friends, the familiar gleaming red eyes.

"Kasu…" Tenebrae stared at her, noting that her eyes looked just over his shoulder rather than at him. What could she be seeing, he wondered.

"I have to go on," she finished, meeting Tenebrae's eyes. The silver fur, stirring in the light night breeze, caught a hint of moonlight and glittered.

There was a stunned silence, during which no one moved. Kasu remained standing, her fur tossed in the breeze. The stain on her ruff was all but ignored; no one dared laugh. This Eevee had a sense of undeniable _presence_, as though, Nimahri thought, the spirits themselves watched over her. With the heightened senses of the Ninetales species, she felt the fleeting touch of something _otherworldly_, something rare and strange, like she'd never felt before.

Then it was gone; the spell was broken as the presence faded, and Kasu again became simply a determined young Eevee, looking badly in need of a good dunk in a river. Nimahri filed the moment away for later examination.

"Well, Ah'm still comin'."

Firefang had not spoken at all since taking Arthur. Now she sat, Arthur between her paws (much cleaner), looking totally at ease. Kasu stared at her.

"Well, Ah was comin' ta see mah buddy Cataract, after all," she explained. "Ah still have a ways ta go. You'll not be alone on that mountain."

Kasu blinked, then slowly smiled, grateful to the brash Persian. Firefang smiled in return.

"Ya got somethin' special, hon," she said softly. "Ah wanna see how far ya go. Nah, kid, you'll not be alone for a while, at least. You've got me."

Arthur gave a sharp mew.

"And this lil' 'un, too, Ah think," Firefang laughed. "Better he stays with a cat like himself, Ah think." Kasu expected Nimahri to object, but the Ninetales actually looked quite relieved.

"I'm coming too!" Duskpaw shouted excitedly. "I wanna see the mountain. And maybe we can help out Emeria, you know?"

Kasu smiled at him. "Maybe. Thank you," she added in a softer voice, and Duskpaw just grinned.

Tenebrae looked at Archimedes, and then at Nimahri. Then he spoke.

"Our agreement was to escort you to Queen Emeria's range. We'll take you that far at least, then… well, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it." Archimedes nodded emphatically, and Nimahri made no objection.

"I understand." Kasu swiped at her eyes quickly with a paw. "I… well, thank you. For everything."

"Ya already thanked us," came Firefang's gentle reminder. "Now that we've settled that… Nimahri? Was there a special reason ya named this cub 'Arthur'?"

"Um…" Nimahri seemed nonplussed by the sudden topic change. "Well, I like the name, and he answers to it, so…"

"Is that the only name he'll answer ta?"

"Yeah. I tried to nickname him yesterday. He wasn't going for it."

"We may've a problem, then," Firefang said, eyes twinkling mischievously. "This cub's a girl."

Silence.

Then, howls of laughter as Nimahri stammered in shock.

* * *

_I'm sorry, I can't even take my OWN story seriously. :3 Hope you enjoyed it!_


	12. Rain

* * *

It was raining. 

Rama had never liked the rain. The instinctive aversion to water shared by all fire 'mons was as strong in him as ever. Even as an Eevee he had hated water, hated how it felt on his fur, how it weighed him down, how it muffled sounds and smells. These days it irritated him even more. Though still strong, he was no longer young, and his eyes were not what they had once been. Neither was the rest of his body, he reflected; he fluffed out his yellow ruff, wrapped his tail around his paws, and tried to ignore the aches in his knees that the rain always seemed to bring on. He wondered idly if La'Shanke got these aches too. She had been full grown when he was only a kit; he remembered her as an assistant to the shaman at the time, a tall Jolteon now long in the grave. Surely she felt her age some days.

He was feeling his tonight. It had been so many long years since he had taken the mantle of leadership from his own aging father. He ruefully reflected on those early years. There had been mistakes - far too many mistakes - and the rain sheeting down outside his den reminded him of a disproportionate number of them.

He should not have moved the pack so quickly. He should not have moved so close to that human city. He should not have been so adamant, so inflexible, so _angry_.

He should not have banished Chalran.

He should not have ignored La'Shanke.

And as the rain outside his den intensified, he thought of Demi, the young Jolteon mother, and sighed.

There was another mistake. The young silverpelt Kasu had not deserved the treatment she had been subject to. At the very least she had deserved an explanation, one Rama had not given. Certainly he was not the only 'mon at fault, but he was pack-leader and she had been as much _his_ problem as Demi's or La'Shanke's. He sighed and laid his muzzle on his paws, ears folded back.

Just one more mistake. And it had taken the loss of his son, his wonderful Cheggah, for it to be rammed home to him just how much of a mistake it had been. The spirits alone knew where Cheggah and young Mahk were, and whether they would come home. Demi had good reason to be moping about, with both her kits gone so suddenly.

The hard truth was that the pack was safer without the little silverpelt; she had been a hazard at best. Rama doubted anyone had ever told her why. It had been his duty, La'Shanke's duty, Demi's duty; none of them had done it. He wondered, idly, if she had ever found out. Surely she had. He hoped it had not been through experience.

Similar reasoning had guided his banishment of Chalran. He was not at all sure that had been a good idea anymore.

Not even a psychic 'mon could change what had been, however, and while the thought did not comfort the pack-leader, it did at least afford him a sort of shield.

* * *

It was raining. 

Emeria, Queen of the mountain, ignored it as best she could. Once in a while her lavender fur would ripple as she carefully shook the worst of the water off, but other than that she gave no sign of discomfort.

She had wanted to be a queen, once upon a time, when she had been an Eevee and was young enough to believe in tales of kings and queens who ruled whole regions without a hitch. She had all but fallen into the job at the insistence of her father, and quite frankly after many years trying to keep the peace she was heartily sick of the whole business. One of the troubles with being a Queen was that every 'mon seemed to think that she could handle some impossible problem better than their own pack-leaders.

Another was that when one 'mon holds great power, someone else invariably wants it.

"I can't say for sure who they are, Lady," the huge Blastoise before her said in his slow, mellow voice. "They've been meeting all over the mountain 'n it's hard for me to get close."

"Can you hazard a guess as to how many?" Emeria pressed. She sat ramrod-straight on a tall rock, only just managing to get on eye level with the hulking water 'mon.

"Hard to say," he murmured. "More than thirty, less than forty-five."

Emeria gave a little start. That was over half her pack.

"'n they're getting the other 'mons riled up, too," he continued.

"Wonderful." Emeria shuddered, not from the rain.

"You suspect someone?"

"I'm certain of who their leader is, but I don't know where he is and in any case I've no definite proof. This is serious, though. More have gone to his side than I had originally thought." Emeria sighed. "Cataract, the whole problem is, I _am_ suspect as well. The rumors, I'm sure you've heard them?"

Cataract actually chuckled. "Oh, of course, an alliance with the powers of darkness. Some dark 'mon came to you for sanctuary, I'll bet."

"Close enough," Emeria told him seriously. "The 'mon in question is leading a small coalition like himself. They're Eons, like we Espeons, only black. He calls himself an Umbreon."

"More Eons, eh?" Cataract quirked an eye ridge. "Is there no end to the variants of your kind?"

"I'm beginning to believe not."

"Does he intend to stay, then?"

"I don't really know. I wouldn't object if he did - he's quite a nice fellow, really - but I got the impression he's something of a wanderer." Emeria thought for a moment. "His comrades don't seem any more inclined to settle than he, really. Fortunately they also aren't inclined to join the opposition. Have you heard of the powers of the dark 'mons?"

"I hear they're immune to _your_ sort of power." Cataract, for all his slow speech, was not stupid. Emeria mentally reassessed him - again.

"Exactly. I'd rather have them on my side if I can get them to commit - if not, then I'd at least not want to face them."

"I can understand that." Cataract glanced up at the sky. "This storm is only going to get worse, Lady. If I were you I'd take to my den and stay there for a while."

She smiled. "Good advice indeed. Be well, and thank you."

"No problem, Lady. Good luck." He turned and ambled slowly away. Emeria waited until he was completely out of sight before making a very unladylike dash for her den.

* * *

It was raining. 

As if she didn't have enough troubles. Zhara sneezed and curled her body even tighter in misery. Days of forced marching had got her no closer to knowing what exactly was going on. Kasu was crazy for wanting to live out in the forest, if this was what forest Eevees did in rain. Zhara sneezed again. She was exhausted, her fur was matted and soaked right through, and she was very hungry. She spared her best glare for the pair of Manectrics (for this was what they had called themselves) crouched nearby and was morbidly amused to see them looking as miserable as she.

She was convinced the pair were idiots at best. What was this nonsense they spouted about her "unique powers"? She had strange fur, but no strange powers. The number of times she had explained this had made no difference. They remained completely convinced of her so-called power and insisted that she had to come to their boss immediately. Some 'mon called Aheba on some dreadful mountain. Zhara seethed inwardly. How _dare_ this Aheba drag her from her nice home? How _dare_ he subject her to this and expect her cooperation?

If that was indeed what he expected, she would show him a thing or two, yes indeed! She bared her teeth. Oh yes, he would regret this. And then she would find some way to travel in comfort back home to her Melissa. How was the poor girl getting on without her lovely Zhara? She was quite sure she didn't know, but the image of her dear girl crying was enough to drive her wild.

She gave the Manectrics another hate-filled stare and brooded spitefully on her plan. Oh yes, they would _all_ pay!

* * *

It was raining. 

Mahk squinted across the plain at the dark shape before him. It sort of looked like a mountain, but with the rain it was hard to see. He shook off the needle-sharp points of his fur and stared at it.

Would his little sister really have gone there? Surely not - but then, she'd done nothing but surprise him for quite some time now. If she had some reason to scale those slopes, she just might have. He shook himself again and turned to pad back to the makeshift hollow where Cheggah hid from the rain.

"Miserable day," the big Flareon grumbled as Mahk returned. Mahk only grunted in reply.

They stared out at the rain for a very long time before Cheggah spoke again.

"Didja see anything?"

Mahk considered his reply carefully.

"Sort of. There's a mountain range out there. I think maybe she did come this way."

"But you can't be sure." It wasn't a question.

"No. This rain destroys all scent. She could have gone anywhere. But she pointed toward the west that day, so I'm gonna keep going west."

Cheggah laid his head on his paws in an unconscious imitation of his father and sighed. Mahk copied the movement, thinking of his mother and how upset she must be.

He'd make it all up to her. As soon as he came home with his little sister.

* * *

It rained on as a little girl cried herself to sleep after another day with no sign of her pet.

* * *

It rained on as an old Vaporeon tried fruitlessly to contact the spirits for some warning of what came next.

* * *

It rained on as an Espeon enjoyed the success of his plans thus far.

* * *

It rained on over a little silver-furred Eevee and her friends, safe in a little cavern below the great mountain, unaware that all hell was preparing to break loose just overhead.

* * *


End file.
